^-  V-  ^^^-A-l 


«igHia»B*aii*t><t.^  -j^-^ta— 


THE  GIFT  OF 

MAY  TREAT  MORRISON 

IN  MEMORY  OF 

ALEXANDER   F  MORRISON 

\ 


S  If  h  i(  1'  1] : 
1853. 


THE 


ANORAMA  OF  NATIONS. 


COMPRISINQ 


THE  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  COURAGE,  PERSEVERANCE,  ENTER- 

PRISE,    CUNNING,    SHREAVDNESS,    VIVACITY,    INGENUITY, 

CONTEMPT  OF  DANGER  AND  OF  DEATH  EXHIBITED 

BY  PEOPLE   OF  THE 


PRINCIPAL  NATIONS  OF  THE  WORLD. 


A3  ILLUSTRATED  IN  NARRATIVES  OP 


PERIL    AND    ADVENTURE. 


BY    JOHN    FROST,    LL.  D. 

AUTHOR  OF  UNIVERSAL  NAVAL  HISTORY,  ETC.,  ETO. 


AUBURN  AND  BUFFALO: 

JOHN    E.     BEARDSLEY. 


»  >       ,    .' 


J    )  J    1     J       i 


»■     i  *     « • • 


\ 


^. 


# 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1852,  by 

JOHN    FROST, 

li  tlie  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States, 
in  and  for  the  Eastern  District  of  Pennsylvania. 


oitEBflTYPED  BX  GEClRGr  "IHi    UI? 


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PEEPACE. 


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A  BOOK  of  tales  and  sketches,  illustrating  the 
manners  and  customs  of  the  nations  of  the  earth, 
must  possess  a  variety  of  interest  and  instruction. 
To  the  attraction  of  a  common  geographical  pano- 
rama, it  adds,  life  only  to  be  found  in  stories  of  hu- 
man passion  and  narratives  of  adventure;  while 
the  distiuo'uishins:  features  of  national  character. 


8  PREFACE. 

and  the  many  differences  in  manners  and  customs 
among  the  population  of  the  world  may  be  noted 
and  studied  in  such  a  book  with  decided  benefit. 

Here  may  be  seen  the  restless,  daring  and  inqui- 
sitive citizen  of  the  United  States — the  noble, 
haughty  but  cruel  Indian — the  indolent,  fickle  and 
pleasure-loving  Mexican — the  degenerate  descend- 
ant of  the  Spaniard  in  South  America — the  proud, 
substantial  and  dominion-loving  Englishman — the 
hardy  Highlander — the  fun-and-fight-loving  Irish- 
man— the  vain,  but  brave  and  lively  Frenchman — 
the  haughty,  hot-blooded  and  vindictive  Spaniard 
— the  fickle,  indolent  and  superstitious  Italian — the 
strong-willed,  plodding,  industrious  German — the 
bold  and  patriotic  Swiss — the  persevering  and  in- 
telligent Swede  and  Norwegian — the  stubborn, 
reverential  Russian — the  ease-loving,  Christian- 
hating  Turk — the  daring  and  lively  Greek — the 
handsome  and  manly  Circassians — the  roving  Tar- 
tars— the  ingenuous  and  industrious  Chinese — the 
idol-worshipping  Hindoo — the  piratical  inhabitant 
of    the    Barbary   States — and  ■  the   almost   brutal 


PREFACE.  9 

African — all  acting  out  their  characters — together 
with  those  people  who  may  be  said  to  be  but 
tinged  with  the  traits  of  these  nations. 

The  book  has  numerous  illustrations,  which  will 
serve  to  fix  many  thrilling  incidents  in  the  memory 
of  the  reader.  Their  use  is  now  generally  appre- 
ciated, and  in  a  work  intended,  as  the  "  Panorama 
of  Nations"  is,  for  popular  circulation,  they  could 
not  be  omitted  without  a  serious  vacancy  being 
felt.  These  are  engraved  from  excellent  designs 
by  Croome  and  other  distinguished  artists. 

The  reader  will  travel  the  whole  world  in  com- 
pany with  a  narrator,  whose  endeavour  it  will  be 
to  rival  in  the  interesting  and  vivid  delineations  of 
real  events,  the  strong  colouring,  the  romantic  and 
thrilling  incidents,  the  extraordinary  vicissitudes 
and  wild  i^lay  of  passions,  which  characterize  the 
productions  of  the  improvisaiori  of  Italy  or  the 
story  tellers  of  the  Arabian  caravanserais. 


CONTENTS. 


Introduction      .        .        ...        .        i        • 

Ascent  op  the  Rocky  Mountains         .        .        . 
The  Mountaineers  and  the  Californians      . 

Daniel  Boone 

Whaling  Adventures 

A  Spanish  Bull-Figut 

Adventure  on  tpe  Concorvado        ... 

The  Peruvian  Indians 

Adventure  on  the  Puna  of  Peru- 
Treatment  of  Prisoners  bt  Rosas        .         .        . 
Scotch  and  English  Hunters  in  South  Africa 
Daring  Exploit  of  British  Sailors     .        .        • 

Life  in  Ireland 

Highland  Sport 

The  "Wild  Boar  and  the  "Welshman 

The  Last  of  the  Contrabandxeri 

Don  Giro,  or  the  Priest-Robber 

Story  op  Spanish  Brigands  .... 

The  Smuggler's  Leap — A  Passage  in  the  Pyrenees 

The  Carmagnole    ^        

Charles  and  Susanne — A  Real  Incident 

The  Walcheren  Expedition  .... 

Dufavel's  Adventure  in  the  "Well        . 

The  "Wolves  of  Russia      .  .... 

The  Retreat  from  Moscow      .... 

hiTE  IN  Siberia     .         .  "      

Tqe  Avalanche 

The  Three  Friends  of  Brussels  .        .        . 


FAOa 

13 
17 
34 
51 

61 

84 
85 
94 
97 

100 
102 
115 

122 
128 
144 
152 
176 
198 
202 
211 
217 
225 
243 
247 
254 
261 
275 
280 


(11) 


12 


CONTENTS, 


The  Wild  Boar  of  the  Hart/ 

A  Bear  Hunt  in  the  Pyrenees  .        .        .        . 

The  Pindarries 

The  Highlanders  of  India,  or  the  Rohilla  Robbers 

The  Tiger  of  India 

A  Romance  of  the  Bedouins 

Macomo,  the  Caffre  Chief      .... 

A  Late  Remarkable  Trial  at  Gibraltar   . 

The  Tartar  Bandit 

Caled  and  Obeidah       ..... 

Capture  of  Chuzan 

The  King  of  Persia's  Female  Guards 

The  Polish  Guard 

The  Forest  Ride  of  a  "West  India  Planter 
An  Exploring  Adventure  in  Australia 

Christmas  in  Sweden 

A  Peep  at  Peraharra 

Hunting  in  the  Indian  Archipelago 
A  Walk  through  Constantinople   . 
The  Jevts  of  Egypt       .... 

A  Visit  to  Bombay 

Madam  Pfeiffer  at  Tahiti 

An  Adventure  on  the  Dee     .... 

Specimen  of  a  Spanish  Reyolution     .        , 


PAQJ 

,  289 
299 
310 

324 

328 

336 

340 

347 

352 

363 

373 

381 

387 

392 

395 

402 

414 

425 

443 

462 

469 

482 

494 

50a 


THE 


PANOEAMA  OP   NATIONS. 


To  catcli  the  distinguishing  features  and  the  common  expres- 
eion  of  national  character  is,  or  should  be,  one  great  object  with 
those  who  consult  history.  Yet  the  assertion  is  well-founded, 
that  the  desire  for  such  knowledge  is  more  easily  and  more  com^ 
pletely  gratified  by  recourse  to  narratives  of  accident  and  adven- 
ture. These  bring  the  qualities  of  men  into  full  play,  and  set 
the  national  traits  before  us  in  boldest  relief  and  freshest  hues. 
The  peculiarities  of  nature  and  habit,  which  mark  the  people  of 
a  particular  country,  seldom  attract  the  notice  of  general  history 
in  its  stately  march.  From  it  we  are  obliged  to  extort  what 
we  wish  by  a  tedious  and  painful  process.  What  moi'e  striking 
display  of  the  pure  American  character  can  we  find  than  the  ex- 
ploits and  labors  of  the  hardy  borderers — the  iron  men  of  the 
west  ?  Yet  in  what  well-known  history  have  they  been  awarded 
a  place  ?  Nor  have  the  characteristic  habits  and  achievements  of 
the  various  nations  of  the  Eastern  World  been  better  treated. 
Revolutions  of  state,  and  the  monstrous  deeds  of  war,  fill  up  the 
measure  of  national  record. 

A  series  of  narratives,  in  which  the  procession  of  nations 
shall  pass  before  the  mind,  in  their  native  garb,  and  performing 
their  native  parts,  cannot  but  possess  a  powerful  interest.  The 
keen-eyed,restlcss,  and  daring  American,  full  of  enterprize  and  fun, 
and  ready  to  meet  death  in  any  shape  he  may  assume — the  burly, 

2  CIS) 


14  THE  PANORAMA  OF  NATIONS. 


haughty,  and  reserved  Englishman,  coolly  observing  others,  and 
while  preferring  home  and  quiet,  ready  upon  occasion  for  the 
most  daring  enterprizes — the  serious  and  shrewd  Scot,  the  son  of 
the  heath  and  hill — the  rollicking  Irishman — the  brisk,  vain, 
showy,  yet  valorous  Frenchman — the  proud  and  chivalrous 
Spaniard — the  indolent  and  intellectual  Italian,  interesting,  even 
in  his  bandit  life — the  industrious,  close-fisted,  superstitious  Ger- 
man— the  firm,  bold,  rapacious  Cossack — the  laborious  Scandi- 
navian— the  ingenious,  but  treacherous  Chinese — and  the  almost 
apish  Negro,  are  seen  in  the  train,  not  performing  the  general 
part  of  men,  but  acting  with  individual  and  peculiar  force.  Here 
may  they  be  studied  to  the  best  advantage.  Here  do  they  revel 
among  their  own  loved  scenes. 

While  such  narratives  awaken  and  satisfy  a  thirst  for  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  traits  of  different  nations ;  they  furnish  the  lovers  of 
adventure  and  thrilling  incident  with  an  abundance  of  food. 
Courage,  daring,  intelligence,  skill,  and  virtue,  are  brought  to 
the  test  of  danger  aijd  temptation,  and  their  triumphs  or  defeats 
are  pregnant  with  interest  and  instruction  for  all  mankind.  Wis- 
dom and  virtue  belong  to  no  particular  country,  nor  to  any  par- 
ticular people.  They  are  golden  fruit,  and  are  produced  in  every 
clime,  and  by  every  class.  True  courage,  which  dreads  no  danger 
in  the  search  of  right  and  in  its  support,  will  be  found  illustrated 
in  the  histories  of  all  nations,  together  with' its  mimic,  animal 
effrontery.  The  vices,  too,  are  equally  distributed  among  men. 
If,  as  a  general  thing,  one  people  has  more  frankness  than 
another,  the  account  will  be  found  balanced  by  its  want  of  vene- 
ration for  principle  or  something  else. 

Whatever  is  foreign  to  our  customs  and  notions  either  excites 
our  disgust,  or  interests  us  by  its  very  novelty.  The  rage  for 
a  knowledge  of  the  peculiarities  of  other  nations,  in  America  at 
least,  proves  that  the  latter  is  the  most  common  result.  It  is  hoped, 
therefore,  that  we  shall  be  able,  in  the  course  of  the  present  work, 
to  convey  a  complete  idea  of  the  characteristics  of  all  the  different 
peoples,  whose  exploits  and  customs  may  be  touched  upon,  and 
yet  retain  the  interest  of  those  who  peruse  it. 


COLONEL  FflEMONli 


ASCENT  OF  THE  ROCKY  MOUNTAINS 


One  of  the  best  representatives  of  American  energy  and  per- 
severance, and  of  a  combination  of  those  qualities  which  make 
the  successful  man,  is  Col.  John  C.  Fremont.  As  the  explorer 
of  the  far  west,  he  has  acquired  a  world-wide  fame,  while  his 
name  is  strongly  linked  with  the  conquest  and  colonization  of  the 
vast  region  bordering  upon  the  Pacific.  In  the  records  of  few 
expeditions  can  be  found  so  many  deeds  of  daring,  and  displays 
of  fortitude  as  in  the  first  exploring  tour  of  Col.  Fremont.  At 
the  head  of  twenty-one  men,  he  set  out  from  St.  Louis  in  May, 
1842.  Most  of  the  men  of  the  party  were  experienced  hunters 
and  were  well  acquainted  with  the  region  between  St.  Louis  and 
the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  renowned  Kit  Carson  was  chosen  for 
guide.  This  man  had  scarcely  an  equal  in  the  west,  and  was 
regarded  as  the  heau  ideal  of  a  mountaineer.  Nothing  daunted 
him,  and  his  ingenuity  surmounted  many  difficulties  which  seemed 
a  bar  to  the  progress  of  others.     One  great  achievement,  the 

2*  (17) 


18  ASCENT   OF   THE    EOCKT   MOUNTAINS. 


/ 

/ 


ascent  to  the  highest  peak  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  will  show  the 
character  of  tlie  party  and  its  indomitable  captain. 

"  Early  in  the  morning,"  says  Fremont,  "  we  left  the  camp, 
fifteen  in  number,  well  armed,  of  course,  and  mounted  on  our  best 
mules.  A  pack-animal  carried  our  provisions,  with  a  coflFee-pot 
and  kettle,  and  three  or  four  tin  cups.  Every  man  had  a  blanket 
strapped  over  his  saddle,  to  serve  for  his  bed,  and  the  instruments 
were  carried  by  turns  on  their  backs.  We  entered  directly  on 
rough  and  rocky  ground;  and,  just  after  crossing  the  ridge,  had 
the  good  fortune  to  shoot  an  antelope.  We  heard  the  roar,  and 
had  a  glimpse  of  a  waterfall  as  we  rode  along,  and  crossing  in 
our  way  two  fine  streams,  tributary  to  the  Colorado,  in  about  two 
hours'  ride  we  reached  the  top  of  the  first  row  or  range  of  the 
mountains.  Here,  again,  a  view  of  the  most  romantic  beauty 
met  our  eyes.  It  seemed  as  if,  from  the  vast  expanse  of  uninte- 
resting prairie  we  had  passed  over,  Nature  had  collected  all  her 
beauties  together  in  one  chosen  place.  We  were  overlooking  a 
deep  valley,  which  was  entirely  occupied  by  three  lakes,  and  from 
the  brink  to  the  surrounding  ridges  rose  precipitously  five  hun- 
dred and  a  thousand  feet,  covered  with  the  dark  green  of  the 
balsam  pine,  relieved  on  the  border  of  the  lake  with  the  light 
foliage  of  the  aspen.  They  all  communicated  with  each  other, 
and  the  green  of  the  waters,  common  to  mountain  lakes  of  great 
depth,  showed  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  cross  them.  The 
surprise  manifested  by  our  guides  when  these  impassable  obstacles 
suddenly  barred  our  progress,  proved  that  they  were  among  the 
hidden  treasures  of  the  place,  unknown  even  to  the  wandering 
trappers  of  the  region.  Descending  the  hill,  we  proceeded  to 
make  our  way  along  the  margin  to  the  southern  estremitj'.  A 
narrow  strip  of  angular  fragments  of  rock  sometimes  afforded  a 
rough  pathway  for  our  mules,  but  generally  we  rode  along  the 
shelving  side,  occasionally  scrambling  up,  at  a  considerable  risk 
of  tumbling  back  into  the  lake. 

"  The  slope  was  frequently  60° )  the  pines  grew  densely  to- 
gether, and  the  ground  was  covered  with  the  branches  and  trunks 
of  trees.     The  air  was  fragrant  with  t!ic  odor  of  the  pines;  and 


y 


ASCENT   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  19 


I  realized  this  dcliglitful  morning  the  pleasure  of  breathing  that 
mountain  air  which  makes  a  constant  theme  of  the  hunter's 
praise,  and  which  now  made  us  feel  as  if  we  had  all  been  drink- 
ing some  exhilarating  gas.  The  depths  of  this  unexplored  forest 
were  a  place  to  delight  the  heart  of  a  botanist.  There  was  a  rich 
undergrowth  of  plants,  and  numerous  gay-colored  flowers  in  bril- 
liant bloom.  We  reached  the  outlet  at  length,  where  some 
freshly-barked  willows  that  lay  in  the  water  showed  that  beaver 
had  been  recently  at  work.  There  were  some  small  brown 
squirrels  jumping  about  in  the  pines,  and  a  couple  of  large  mal- 
lard ducks  swimming  about  in  the  stream. 

"  The  hills  on  this  southern  end  were  low,  and  the  lake  looked 
like  a  mimic  sea,  as  the  waves  broke  on  the  sandy  beach  in  the 
force  of  a  strong  breeze.  There  was  a  pretty  open  spot,  wifh  fine 
grass  for  our  mules ;  and  we  made  our  noon  halt  on  the  beach, 
under  the  shade  of  some  large  hemlocks.  We  resumed  our  jour- 
ney after  a  halt  of  about  an  hour,  making  our  way  up  the  ridge 
on  the  western  side  of  the  lake.  In  search  of  smoother  ground 
we  rode  a  little  inland ;  and,  passing  through  groves  of  aspen, 
soon  found  ourselves  again  among  the  pines.  Emerging  from 
these,  we  struck  the  summit  of  the  ridge  above  the  upper  end  of 
■  the  lake. 

"  We  had  reached  a  very  elevated  point,  and  in  the  yalley  be- 
low, and  among  the  hills,  were  a  number  of  lakes  of  different 
levels;  some  two  or  three  hundred  feet  above  others,  with  which 
they  communicated  by  foaming  torrents.  Even  to  our  great 
height  the  roar  of  the  cataracts  came  up,  and  we  could  see  them 
leaping  down  in  lines  of  snowy  foam.  From  this  scene  of  busy 
waters,  we  turned  abruptly  into  the  stillness  of  a  forest,  where 
we  rode  among  the  open  bolls  of  the  pines,  over  a  lawn  of  vei'dant 
grass,  having  strikingly  the  air  of  cultivated  grounds.  This  led 
us,  after  a  time,  among  masses  of  rock  which  had  no  vegetable 
earth  but  in  hollows  and  crevices  though  still  the  pine  forest  con- 
tinued. Towards  evening  we  reached  a  defile,  or  rather  a  hole 
In  the  mountains,  entirely  shut  in  by  dark  pine- covered  rocks. 
"  A  small  stream,  with  scarcely  perceptible  current,  flowed 


20  ASCENT   OF   THE    ROCKY    MOUNTAINS. 


through  a  level  bottom  of  perhaps  eighty  yards  width,  where  the 
grass  was  saturated  with  water.  Into  this  the  mules  were  turned, 
and  were  neither  hobbled  nor  picketed  during  the  night,  as  the 
fine  pasturage  took  away  all  temptation  to  stray ;  and  we  made 
our  bivouac  in  the  pines.  The  surrounding  masses  were  all  of 
granite.  While  supper  was  being  prepared,  I  set  out  on  an  ex- 
cursion in  the  neighborhood,  accompanied  by  one  of  my  men. 
AVe  wandered  about  among  the  crags  and  ravines  until  dark, 
richly  repaid  for  our  walk  by  a  fine  collection  of  plants,  many  of 
them  in  full  bloom.  Ascending  a  peak  to  find  the  place  of  our 
camp,  we  saw  that  the  little  defile  in  which  we  lay  communicated 
with  the  long  green  valley  of  some  stream,  which,  here  locked  up 
in  the  mountains,  far  away  to  the  south,  found  its  way  in  a  dense 
forest  to  the  plains. 

"  Looking  along  its  upward  course,  it  seemed  to  conduct,  by  a 
smooth  gradual  slope,  directly  towards  the  peak,  which,  from  long 
consultation  as  we  approached  the  mountain,  we  had  decided  to 
be  the  highest  of  the  range.  Pleased  with  the  discovery  of  so 
fine  a  road  for  the  next  day,  we  hastened  down  to  the  camp,  where 
we  arrived  just  in  time  for  supper.  Our  table-service  was  rather 
scant ;  and  we  held  the  meat  in  our  hands,  and  clean  rocks  made 
good  plates,  on  which  we  spread  our  macaroni.  Among  all  the 
strange  places  on  which  we  had  occasion  to  encamp  during  our 
long  journey,  none  have  left  so  vivid  an  impression  on  my  mind 
as  the  camp  of  this  evening.  The  disorder  of  the  masses  which 
surrounded  us — the  little  hole  through  which  we  saw  the  stars 
over  head — the  dark  pines  where  we  slept — and  the  rocks  lit  up 
with  the  glow  of  our  fires,  made  a  night-picture  of  very  wild 
beauty. 

"  13th. — The  morning  was  bright  and  pleasant,  just  cool 
enough  to  inake  exercise  agreeable,  and  we  soon  entered  the  de- 
file I  had  seen  the  preceding  day.  It  was  smoothly  carpeted  with 
soft  grass,  and  scattered  over  with  groups  of  flowers,  of  which 
yellow  was  the  predominant  color  Sometimes  we  were  forced, 
by  an  occasional  difficult  pass,  to  pick  our  way  on  a  narrow  ledge 
*lon^  the   side   of  the  defile,  and  the  mules  wero  frequently 


ASCENT   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  21 


on  their  knees ;  but  these  obstructions  were  rare,  and  we  jour- 
neyed on  in  the  sweet  morning  air,  delighted  at  our  good  fortune 
in  having  found  such  a  beautiful  entrance  to  the  mountains. 
This  road  continued  for  about  three  miles,  when  we  suddenly 
reached  its  termination  in  one  of  the  grand  views  which,  at  every 
turn,  meet  the  traveler  in  this  magnificent  region.  Here  the 
defile  up  which  we  had  traveled  opened  out  into  a  small  lawn, 
where,  in  a  little  lake,  the  stream  had  its  source. 

"  There  were  some  fine  astei-s  in  bloom,  but  all  the  flowering 
plants  appeared  to  seek  the  shelter  of  the  rocks,  and  to  be  of 
lower  growth  than  below,  as  if  they  loved  the  warmth  of  the 
soil,  and  kept  out  of  the  way  of  the  winds.  Immediately  at  our 
feei,  a  precipitous  descent  led  to  a  confusion  of  defiles,  and  before 
us  rose  the  mountains.  It  is  not  by  the  splendor  of  far-oflf  views, 
which  have  lent  such  a  glory  to  the  Alps,  that  these  impress  the 
mind;  but  by  a  gigantic  disorder  of  enormous  masses,  and  a 
savage  sublimity  of  naked  rock,  in  wonderful  contrast  with  innu- 
merable green  spots  of  a  rich  floral  beauty,  shut  up  in  their  stern 
recesses.  Their  wildness  seems  well  suited  to  the  character  of 
the  people  who  inhabit  the  country. 

"  I  determined  to  leave  our  animals  here,  and  make  the  rest 
of  our  way  on  foot.  The  peak  appeared  so  near,  that  there  was 
no  doubt  of  our  returning  before  night ;  and  a  few  men  were 
left  in  charge  of  the  mules,  with  our  provisions  and  blankets.  We 
took  with  us  nothing  but  our  arms  and  instruments,  and,  as  the 
day  had  become  warm,  the  greater  part  left  our  coats.  Having 
made  an  early  dinner,  we  started  again.  We  were  soon  involved 
in  the  most  ragged  precipices,  nearing  the  central  chain  very 
slowly,  and  rising  but  little.  The  first  ridge  hid  a  succession  of 
others;  and  when,  with  great  fatigue  and  difficulty,  we  had 
climbed  up  five  hundred  feet,  it  was  but  to  make  an  equal  descent 
on  the  other  side ;  all  these  intervening  places  were  filled  with 
small  deep  lakes,  which  met  the  eye  in  every  direction,  descend- 
ing from  one  level  to  another,  sometimes  under  bridges  formed 
by  huge  fragments  of  granite,  beneath  which  was  heard  the  roar 
of  the  water.     These  constantly  obstructed  our  path,  forcing  us 


22  ASCENT  OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


to  make  long  detours ;  frequently  obliged  to  retrace  our  steps, 
and  frequently  falling  among  the  rocks.  Maxwell  was  precipi- 
tated towards  the  face  of  a  precipice,  and  saved  himself  from 
going  over  by  throwing  himself  flat  on  the  ground.  We 
clambered  on,  always  expecting,  with  every  ridge  that  wo 
crossed,  to  reach  the  foot  of  the  peaks,  and  always  disappointed, 
until  about  four  o'clock,  when,  pretty  well  worn  out,  we  reached 
the  shore  of  a  little  lake,  in  which  was  a  rocky  island.  We  re- 
mained here  a  short  time  to  rest,  and  continued  on  around  tho 
lake,  which  had  in  some  places  a  beach  of  white  sand,  and  in 
others  was  bound  with  rocks,  over  which  the  way  was  difficult 
and  dangerous,  as  the  water  from  innumerable  springs  made  them 
very  slippery. 

"  By  the  time  we  had  reached  the  further  side  of  the  lake,  we 
found  ourselves  all  exceedingly  fatigued,  and,  much  to  the  satis- 
faction of  the  whole  party,  we  encamped.  The  epot  we  had 
chosen  was  a  broad  flat  rock,  in  some  measure  protected  from  the 
winds  by  the  surrounding  crags,  and  the  trunks. of  fallen  pines 
affijrded  us  bright  fires.  Near  by  was  a  foaming  torrent,  which 
tumbled  into  the  little  lake  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  below 
us,  and  which,  by  way  of  distinction,  we  have  called  Island  lake. 
We  had  reached  the  upper  limit  of  the  piney  region ;  as,  above 
this  point,  no  tree  was  to  be  seen,  and  patches  of  snow  lay  every- 
where around  us,  on  the  cold  sides  of  the  rocks.  The  flora  of 
the  region  we  had  traversed  since  leaving  our  mules  was  extremely 
rich,  and,  among  the  characteristic  plants,  the  scarlet  flowers  of 
the  dodecatheon  dentatum  everywhere  met  the  eye,  in  great  abun- 
dance. A  small  green  ravine,  on  the  edge  of  which  we  were 
encamped,  was  filled  with  a  profusion  of  alpine  plants,  in  brilliant 
bloom.  From  barometrical  observation,  made  during  our  three 
days'  sojourn  at  this  place,  its  elevation  above  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
is  10,000  feet.  During  the  day,  we  had  seen  no  sign  of  animal 
life;  but  among  the  rocks  here,  we  heard  what  was  supposed  to 
be  the  bleat  of  a  young  goat,  which  we  searched  for  with  hungry 
activity,  and  found  to  proceed  from  a  small  animal  of  gray  color, 
with  short  ears  and  no  tail — probably  the  Siberian  squirrel.     We 


ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  GOAT. 


ASCENT   OF   THE   ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  23 


e;uv  a  considerable  number  of  them,  and  with  the  exception  of  a 
small  bird  like  a  sparrow,  it  is  the  only  inhabitant  of  this  elevated 
part  of  the  mountains.  On  our  return,  we  saw,  below  this  lake, 
large  flocks  of  the  mountain-goat.  We  had  nothing  to  eat  to- 
night. Lajeuncssc,  with  several  others,  took  their  guns,  and 
sallied  out  in  search  of  a  goat;  but  returned  unsuccessful.  At 
sunset,  the  barometer  stood  at  20-522  j  the  attached  thermometei 
50°.  Here  we  had  the  misfortune  to  break  our  thermometer, 
having  now  only  that  attached  to  the  barometer.  I  was  taken  ill 
shortly  after  wo  had  encamped,  and  continued  so  until  late  in  the 
night,  with  violent  headache  and  vomiting.  This  was  probably 
caused  by  the  excessive  fatigue  I  had  undergone,  and  want  of 
food,  and  perhaps,  also,  in  some  measure,  by  the  rarity  of  the 
air.  The  m<iht  was  cold,  as  a  violent  crale  from  the  north  had 
sprung  up  at  sunset,  which  entirely  blew  away  the  heat  of  the 
fires.  The  cold,  and  our  granite  beds,  had  not  been  favorable  to 
sleep,  and  we  were  glad  to  se^;  the  face  of  the  sun  in  the  moil- 
ing. Not  being  delayed  by  ai.y  prcpai-ation  for  breakfa.st,  we  set 
out  immediately. 

"  Ou  every  side,  as  we  advanced,  v.'e  heard  the  roar  of  waters, 
and  of  a  torrent,  which  we  followed  up  a  short  distance,  until  it 
expanded  into  a  lake  about  one  mile  in  length.  On  the  northern 
side  of  the  lake  was  a  bank  of  ice,  or  rather  of  snow  covered  with 
a  crust  of  ice.  Carson  had  been  our  guide  into  the  uiountaiiis, 
and,  agreeably  to  his  advice,  we  loft  this  little  valley,  and  took 
to  the  ridges  again,  which  we  found  extremely  broken,  and  whore 
we  were  again  involved  among  precipices.  Here  were  ice-fields; 
among  which  we  were  all  dispersed,  seeking  each  the  best  path  to 
ascend  the  peak.  Mr.  Preuss  attempted  to  walk  along  the  upper 
edge  of  one  of  these  fields,  which  sloped  away  at  an  angle  of  about 
twenty  degrees;  but  his  feet  slipped  from  under  him,  and  he  went 
plunging  down  the  plain.  A  few  hundred  feet  below,  at  the 
bottom,  were  some  fragments  of  sharp  rock,  ou  which  he  landed ; 
and,  though  he  turned  a  couple  of  somersets,  fortunately  received 
no  injury  beyond  a  few  bruises.  Two  of  the  men,  Clement  Lam- 
bert and  Descotcaux,  had  been  taken  ill,  and  lay  down  on  the 


24  ASCENT   OF   THE   IlOCK^    ;iIOUNTAlNS. 


rocks,  a  sbort  distance  below;  and  at  this  point  I  was  attacked 
with  headache  and  giddiness,  accompanied  by  vomiting,  as  on  the 
day  before.  Finding  myself  unable  to  proceed,  1  sent  the 
barometer  over  to  Mr.  Preuss,  who  was  in  a  gap  two  or  three 
hundred  yards  distant,  desiring  him  to  reach  the  peak  if  possible, 
and  take  an  observation  there.  He  found  himself  unable  to  pro- 
ceed further  in  that  direction,  and  took  an  observation,  where  the 
barometer  stood  at  19-401;  attached  thermometer  50°,  in  the 
gap.  Carson,  who  had  gone  over  to  him,  succeeded  in  reaching 
one  of  the  snowy  summits  of  the  main  ridge,  whence  he  saw  the 
peak  towards  which  all  our  efforts  had  been  directed,  towering 
eight  or  ten  hundred  feet  into  the  air  above  him.  In  the  mean 
time,  finding  myself  grow  rather  worse  than  better,  and  doubtful 
how  far  my  strength  would  carry  mo,  I  sent  Basil  Lajeunesse, 
with  four  men,  back  to  the  place  wh.  re  the  mules  had  been  left. 

''We  were  now  better  acf|uaintod  ■vith  the  topography  of  the 
countrv,  and  I  directed  him  to  btii)!j  hack  with  him,  if  it  were  in 
any  way  possible,  four  or  five  mules  v/ith  provisions  and  blank- 
ets. With  nie  were  iuaxwell  and  Ayer  :  and  after  we  had  re- 
mained nearly  an  hour  on  the  rock,  it  bGcr.me  so  unp-leasantly 
cold,  though  the  day  was  bright,  that  we  set  out  on  our  return  to 
the  camp,  at  which. we  all  arrived  safely,  straggling  in  one  after 
the  other.  1  contiiiuod  ill  during  the  afternoon,  but  became 
better  towards  sundown,  wIk'u  my  recovery  was  completed  by  the 
appearance  of  Basil  and  it.iir  rasu,  all  mounted.  The  men  who 
had  gone  with  him  had  been  too  much  fatigued  to  return,  and 
were  relieved  by  those  in  charge  of  the  horses;  but  in  his  powers 
of  endurance  Basil  resembled  more  a  mountain-goat  than  a  man. 
They  brought  blankets  and  provisions,  and  we  enjoyed  well  our 
dried  meat  and  a  cup  of  good  coffee.  Y/e  rolled  ourselves  up  in 
our  blankets,  and,  with  our  feet  turned  to  a  blazing  fire,  slept 
soundly  nn'ii  mornimr. 

'•  iOiii. — it  had  ijcuu  ijuppo£cd  that  we  had  finished  with  the 
mountains;  and  the  evening  before  it  had  been  arranged  that 
Carson  should  sjt  out  ;it  u.'.ylight,  and  return  to  breakfast  at  the 
Camp  of  the  Mules,  taking  with  bim  all  but  four  or  five  men,  who 


CimiSTOrilER   CAKSON. 


ASCENT   OF    THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS.  27 


were  to  stay  with  me  and  bring  back  the  mules  and  instruments. 
Accordingly,  at  the  break  of  day  they  set  out.  With  Mr.  Preuss 
and  myself  remained  Basil  Lajcuncsse,  Clement  Lambert,  Janisse, 
and  Dcscoteaux.  When  we  had  secured  strength  for  the  day  by 
a  hearty  breakfast,  we  covered  what  remained,  which  was  enough 
for  one  meal,  with  rocks,  in  order  that  it  might  be  safe  from  any 
marauding  bird,  and,  saddling  our  mules,  turned  our  faces  once 
more  towards  the  peaks.  This  time  we  determined  to  proceed 
quietly  and  cautiously,  deliberately  resolved  to  accomplish  our 
object  if  it  were  within  the  compass  of  human  means.  We  were 
of  opinion  that  a  long  defile  which  lay  to  the  left  of  yesterday's 
route  would  lead  us  to  the  foot  of  the  main  peak.  Our  mules 
had  been  refreshed  by  the  fine  grass  in  the  little  ravine  at  the 
Island  camp,  and  we  intended  to  ride  up  the  defile  as  far  as 
posriiblc,  in  order  to  husband  our  strength  for  the  main  ascent. 
Though  this  was  a  fine  passage,  still  it  was  a  defile  of  the  most 
rugged  mountains  known,  and  we  had  many  a  rough  and  steep 
slippery  place  to  cross  before  reaching  the  end.  In  this  place 
the  sun  rarely  shone ;  snow  lay  along  the  border  of  the  small 
stream  which  flowed  through  it,  and  occasional  icy  passages  made 
the  footing  of  the  mules  very  insecure,  and  the  rocks  and  ground 
were  moist  with  the  trickling  waters  in  this  spring  of  mighty  rivers. 
We  soon  had  the  satisfaction  to  find  ourselves  riding  along  the 
huge  wall  which  forms  the  central  summits  of  the  chain.  There  at 
last  it  rose  by  our  sides,  a  nearly  perpendicular  wall  of  gi'anitc, 
terminating  2,000  to  3,000  feet  above  our  heads  in  a  serrated 
line  of  broken,  jagged  cones.  We  rode  on  until  we  came  almost 
immediately  below  the  main  peak,  which  I  denominated  the  Snow 
peak,  as  it  exhibited  more  snow  to  the  eye  than  any  of  the  neigh- 
boring summits.  Here  were  three  small  lakes  of  a  green  color, 
each,  perhaps,  of  a  thousand  yards  in  diameter,  and  apparently  very 
deep.  These  lay  in  a  kind  of  chasm;  and,  according  to  the  barom- 
eter, we  had  attained  but  a  few  hundred  feet  above  the  Island  lake. 
The  barometer  here  stood  at  20-450,  attached  thermometer  70°. 
"  We  managed  to  get  our  mules  up  to  a  little  bench  about  a 
hundred  feet  above  the  lakes,  where  there  was  a  patch  of  good 


28  ASCENT   OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 

grass,  and  turned  them  loose  to  graze.  During  our  rough  ride  to 
this  place,  they  had  exhibited  a  wonderful  surefootedness.  Parts 
of  the  defile  were  filled  with  angular,  sbarp  fragments  of  rock, 
three  or  four  and  eight  or  ten  feet  cube ;  and  among  these  they 
had  worked  their  way,  leaping  from  one  narrow  point  to  another, 
rarely  making  a  false  step,  and  giving  us  no  occasion  to  dismount. 
Having  divested  ourselves  of  every  unnecessary  encumbrance,  we 
commenced  the  ascent.  This  time,  like  esperienced  travelers, 
we  did  not  press  ourselves,  but  climbed  leisurely,  sitting  down  so 
soon  as  we  found  breath  beginning  to  fail.  At  intervals  we 
reached  places  where  a  number  of  springs  gushed  from  the  rocks, 
and  abyat  1800  feet  above  the  lakes  came  to  the  snow  line.  From 
this  point  our  progress  was  uninterrupted  climbing.  Hitherto  I 
had  worn  a  pah-  of  thick  moccasins,  with  soles  of  parfleclie,  but 
here  I  put  on  a  light,  thin  pair,  which  I  had  brought  for  the  pur- 
pose, as  now  the  use  of  our  toes  became  necessary  to  a  further 
advance.  I  availed  myself  of  a  sort  of  comb  of  the  mountain, 
which  stood  against  the  wall  like  a  buttress,  and  which  the  wind 
and  the  solar  radiation,  joined  to  the  steepness  of  the  smooth 
rock,  had  kept  almost  entirely  free  from  snow.  Up  this  I  made 
jay  way  rapidly.  Our  cautious  method  of  advancing  at  the  out- 
set had  spared  my  strength ;  and,  with  the  exception  of  a  slight 
disposition  to  headache,  I  felt  no  remains  of  yesterday's  illness. 
In  a  few  minutes  we  reached  a  point  where  the  buttress  was  over- 
hanging, and  there  was  no  other  way  of  surmounting  the  difficulty 
than  by  passing  around  one  side  of  it,  which  was  the  face  of  a 
vertical  precipice  of  several  hundred  feet. 

"  Putting  hands  and  feet  in  the  crevices  between  the  blocks,  1 
succeeded  in  getting  over  it,  and,  when  I  reached  the  top,  found 
my  companions  in  a  small  valley  below.  Descending  to  them, 
we  continued  climbing,  and  in  a  short  time  readied  the  crest.  I 
sprang  upon  the  summit,  and  another  step  would  have  precipitatea 
me  into  an  immense  snow-field  five  hundred  feet  below.  To  the 
edge  of  this  field  was  a  sheer  icy  precipice ;  and  then,  with  a 
gradual  fall,  the  field  sloped  off  for  about  a  mile,  until  it  struck 
the  foot  of  another  lower  ridge.     I  stood  on  a  narrow  crest,  about 


3* 


ASCENT   OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS,  31 


three  feet  in  width,  with  an  inclination  of  about  20°  N.  51°E. 
As  soon  ab  I  had  gratified  the  first  feelings  of  curiosity,  I  de- 
scended, and  each  man  ascended  in  his  turn ;  for  I  would  only 
allow  one  at  a  time  to  mount  the  unstable  and  precarious  slab, 
which  it  seemed  a  breath  would  hurl  into  the  abyss  below.  We 
mounted  the  barometer  in  the  snow  of  the  summit,  and,  fixing  a 
ramrod  in  a  crevice,  unfurled  the  national  flag  to  wave  in  the 
breeze  where  never  flag  waved  before.  During  our  morning's 
ascent,  we  had  met  no  sign  of  animal  life,  except  the  small  spar- 
row-like bird  already  mentioned.  A  stillness  the  most  profound 
and  a  terrible  solitude  forced  themselves  constantly  on  the  mind 
as  the  great  features  of  the  place.  Here,  on  the  summit,  where 
the  stillness  was  absolute,  unbroken  by  any  sound,  and  solitude 
complete,  we  thought  ourselves  beyond  the  region  of  animate4 
life ;  but  while  we  were  sitting  on  the  rock,  a  solitary  bee  (bromus, 
the  humhle-hce)  came  winging  his  flight  from  the  eastern  vall'Yj 
and  lit  on  the  knee  of  one  of  the  men. 

"  It  was  a  strange  place,  the  icy  rock  and  the  highest  peak  of 
the  Rocky  mountains,  for  a  lover  of  warm  sunshine  and  flowers ; 
and  we  pleased  ourselves  with  the  idea  that  he  was  the  firsl  of 
his  species  to  cross  the  mountain  barrier — a  solitary  pioneer  to 
foretell  the  advance  of  civilization.  I  believe  that  a  moment's 
thought  would  have  made  us  let  hitn  continue  his  way  unharmed; 
but  we  carried  out  the  law  of  this  country,  where  all  anima'cec'i 
nature  seems  at  war ;  and,  seizing  him  immediately,  put  him  in 
at  least  a  fit  place — in  the  leaves  of  a  large  book,  among  the 
flowers  we  had  collected  on  our  way.  The  barometer  stood  at 
18-293,  attached  thermometer  at  44°;  giving  for  the  elevation 
of  this  summit  18,570  feet  above  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  which  may 
be  called  the  highest  flight  of  the  bee.  It  is  certainly  the  highest 
known,.,  flight  of  that  insect.  From  the  description  given  by 
Mackenzie  of  the  mountains  where  he  crossed  them,  with  that  of 
a  French  officer  still  farther  to  the  north,  and  Calonel  Lone's 
measurement  to  the  south,  joined  to  the  opinion  of  the  oldest 
traders  of  the  country,  it  is  presumed  that  this  is  the  highest  peak 
of  the  Rocky  mountains.     The  day  wa?  sunny  and  bright,  but  a 


32      ASCENT  OF  THE  RCCKY"  MOUNTAINS. 


slight  shining  mist  hung  over  the  lowei*  plains,  which  interfered 
with  our  view  of  the  surrounding  country.  On  one  side  we  over- 
looked innumerable  lakes  and  streamS;  the  spring  of  the  Colorado 
of  the  Gulf  of  California ;  and  on  the  other  was  the  Wind  River 
valley,  where  were  the  heads  of  the  Yellowstone  branch  of  the 
Missouri ;  far  to  the  north,  we  could  just  discover  the  snowy  heads 
of  the  Trois  Tetons,  where  were  the  sources  of  the  Missouri  and 
Columbia  rivers ;  and  at  the  southern  extremity  of  the  ridge,  the 
peaks  were  plainly  visible,  among  which  were  some  of  the  springs 
of  the  Nebraska  or  Platte  river.  Around  us,  the  whole  scene 
had  one  main,  striking  feature,  which  was  that  of  terrible  con- 
vulsion. Parallel  to  its  length,  the  ridge  was  split  into  chasms 
and  fissures ;  between  which  rose  the  thin  lofty  walls,  terminated 
with  slender  minarets  and  columns.  According  to  the  barometer, 
the  little  crest  of  the  wall  on  which  we  stood  was  three  thousand 
five  hundred  and  seventy  feet  above  that  place,  and  two  thousand 
seven  hundred  and  eighty  above  the  little  lakes  at  the  bottom, 
immediately  at  our  feet.  Our  camp  at  the  Two  Hills  (an  astro- 
nomical station)  bore  south  3°  east,  which  with  a  bearing  after- 
wards obtained  from  a  fixed  position,  enabled  us  to  locate  the 
peak.  The  bearing  of  the  Trois  Tetons  was  north  50°  west,  and 
the  direction  of  the  central  ridge  of  the  Wind  River  mountains 
south  39°  east.  The  summit  rock  was  gneiss,  succeeded  by 
sienitic  gneiss.  Sienite  and  feldspar  succeeded  in  our  descent  to 
the  snow  line,  where  we  found  a  feldspathic  granite.  I  had  re- 
marked that  the  noise  produced  by  the  explosion  of  our  pistols 
had  the  usual  degree  of  loudness,  but  was  not  in  the  least  pro- 
longed, expiring  almost  instantaneously. 

"  Having  now  made  what  observations  our  means  afi"ordcd,  we 
proceeded  to  descend.  We  had  accomplished  an  object  of 
laudable  ambition,  and  beyond  the  strict  order  of  our  instructions 
We  had  climbed  the  loftiest  peak  of  the  Rocky  mountains,  and 
looked  down  upon  the  snow  a  thousand  feet  below ;  and,  stand- 
ing where  never  human  foot  had  stood  before,  felt  the  exultation 
of  first  explorers.  It  was  about  two  o'clock  when  we  left  the 
summit,  and  when  we  reached  the  bottom,  the  sun  had  already 


ASCENT   OF   THE    ROCKY   MOUNTAINS. 


33 


sunk  tcliind  the  wall,  and  the  day  was  drawing  to  a  close.  It 
would  have  been  pleasant  to  have  lingered  here  and  on  the 
summit  longer ;  but  wc  hurried  away  as  rapidly  as  the  ground 
would  permit,  for  it  was  an  object  to  regain  our  party  as  soon  as 
possible,  not  knowing  what  accident  the  next  hour  might  bring 
forth. 

''We  reached  our  deposite  of  provisions  at  nightfall.  Ilcro 
was  not  the  inn  which  awaits  the  tired  traveler  on  his  return  from 
Mont  Blanc,  or  the  orange  groves  of  South  America,  with  their 
refreshing  juices  and  soft  fragrant  air;  but  we  found  our  little 
cache  of  dried  meat  and  coifee  undisturbed.  Though  the  moon 
was  bright,  the  road  was  full  of  precipices,  and  the  fatigue  of  the 
day  had  been  great.  We  therefore  abandoned  the  idea  of  rejoin- 
ing our  friends,  and  lay  down  on  the  rock,  and,  in  spite  of  the 
cold,  slept  soundly." 


MEXICAN    MULETEERS. 


THE  JIOUNTAINEERS  AND  THE  CALIFORNIANS. 


The  Mission  of  San  Fernando  is  situated  on  a  small  river  called 
Las  Animas,  a  branch  of  the  Los  Martires.  The  convent  is  built 
at  the  neck  of  a  large  plain,  at  the  point  of  influx  of  the  stream 
from  the  broken  spurs  of  the  sierra.  The  savanna  is  covered  with 
luxuriant  grass,  kept  down,  however,  by  the  countless  herds  of 
cattle  which  pasture  on  it.  The  banks  of  the  creek  are  covered 
with  a  lofty  growth  of  oak  and  poplar,  which  ;iear  the  Mission 
have  been  considerably  thinned  for  the  purpose  of  afi"ording  fuel 
and  building  materials  for  the  increasing  settlement.  The  con- 
vent stands  in  the  midst  of  a  grove  of  fruit-trees,  its  rude  tower 
and  cross  peeping  above  them,  and  contrasting  picturesquely  with 
the  wilduess  of  the  surrounding  scenery.  Gardens  and  orchards 
lie  immediately  in  front  of  the  building,  and  a  vineyard  stretches 
away  to  the  upland  ridge  of  the  valley.  The  huts  of  the  Indians 
are  scattered  here  and  there,  built  of  stone  and  adobe,  sometimes 
thatched  with  flags  and  boughs,  but  comfortable  enough.  The 
convent  itself  is  a  substantial  building,  of  the  style  of  architecture 

(34) 


THE   MOUNTAINEERS   AND   THE   CALIFORNIANS.     35 


characterizing  monastic  edifices  in  most  parts  of  the  world. 
Loopholes  peer  from  its  plastered  walls,  and  on  a  flat  portion  of 
the  roof  a  comically  mounted  gingall  or  wall-piece,  carrying  a  two- 
pound  ball,  threatens  the  assailant  in  time  of  war.  At  one  end 
of  the  oblong  building,  a  rough,  irregular  arch  of  sun-burned 
bricks  is  surmounted  by  a  rude  cross,  vinder  which  hangs  a  small 
but  deep  toned  bell — the  wonder  of  the  Indian  peones,  and  highly 
venerated  by  the  frayles  themselves,  who  received  it  as  a  present 
from  a  certain  venerable  archbishop  of  Old  Spain,  and  who,  while 
guarding  it  with  reverential  awe,  tell  wondrous  tales  of  its  adven- 
tures on  the  road  to  its  present  abiding  place. 

Of  late  years  the  number  of  the  canonical  inmates  of  the  con- 
vent has  been  much  reduced — there  being  but  four  priests  now  to 
do  the  duties  of  the  eleven  who  formerly  inhabited  it;  Fray  Au- 
gustin,  a  Capuchin  of  due  capacity  of  paunch,  being  at  the  head 
of  the  holy  quartette.  Augustin  is  the  conventual  name  of  the 
reverend  father,  who  fails  not  to  impress  upon  such  casual  visitants 
to  that  ultima  Thule  as  he  deems  likely  to  appreciate  the  infor- 
mation, that,  but  for  his  humility,  he  might  add  the  sonorous 
appellations  of  Ignacio  Sabanal-Morales-y  Fuentes — his  family 
being  of  the  best  blood  of  Old  Castile,  and  known  there  since  the 
days  of  Ruy  Gomez — el  Campeador — possessing,  moreover,  half 
the  "  vega"  of  the  Ebro,  &c.,  where,  had  fate  been  propitious, 
he  would  now  have  been  the  sleek  superior  of  a  rich  capuchin 
convent,  instead  of  vegetating,  a  leather-clad  frayle,  in  the  wilds 
of  California  Alta. 

Nevertheless,  his  lot  is  no  bad  one.  With  plenty  of  the  best 
and  fattest  meat  to  eat,  whether  of  beef  or  venison,  of  bear  or 
mountain  mutton ;  with  good  wine  and  brandy  of  home  make, 
and  plenty  of  it ;  fruit  of  all  climes  in  great  abundance ;  wheaten 
or  corn  bread  to  suit  his  palate ;  a  tractable  flock  of  natives  to 
guide,  and  assisted  in  the  task  by  three  brother  shepherds ;  far 
from  the  strife  of  politics  or  party — secure  from  hostile  attack 
(not  quite,  by-the-by),  and  eating,  drinking,  and  sleeping  aM'^ay 
his  time,  one  would  think  that  Fray  Augustin  Ignacio  Sabanal- 
Morales-y  Fuentes  had  little  to  trouble  him,  and  had  no  cause  to 


36       THE  MOUNTAINEERS  AND   THE  CALH-ORNIANS. 


regret  even  tbe  vega  of  Castiiiau  Ebro,  beld  by  his  family  since 
the  days  of  el  Gampcador. 

One  evening  Fray  Augustin  sat  upon  an  adobe  bench,  under 
the  fig-tree  shadowing  the  porch  of  the  Mission.  lie  was  dressed  in 
a  goat-skin  jerkin,  softly  and  beautifully  dressed,  and  descending 
to  his  hips,  under  which  his  only  covering — tell  it  not  in  Gath  ! — 
was  a  long  linen  shirt,  reaching  to  his  knees,  and  lately  procured 
from  Puebla  de  los  Angeles,  as  a  sacerdotal  garment.  Boots, 
stockings,  or  unmentionables,  he  had  none.  A  cigariio,  of  tobacco 
rolled  in  corn  shuck,  was  occasionally  placed  between  his  lips; 
whereupon  hu2;e  clouds  of  smoke  rushed  in  columns  from  his 
mouth  and  nostrils.  His  face  was  of  a  golden  yellow  color, 
relieved  by  arched  and  very  black  eyebrows;  his  shaven  chin 
was  of  most  respectable  duplicity — his  corporation  of  orthodox 
dimensions.  Several  ludiaus  and  half-breed  'Mexican  women 
were  pounding  Indian  corn  on  nictates  near  at  hand;  while  sundry 
beef-fed  urchins  of  whitey-brov\-n  complexion  sported  before  the 
door,  exhibiting,  as  they  passed  Fray  Augustin,  a  curious  resem- 
blance to  the  strongly  marked  features  of  that  worthy  padre. 
They  were  probably  his  nieces  and  nephews — a  class  of  relations 
often  possessed  in  numbers  by  priests  and  monks. 

The  three  remaining  brothers  were  absent  from  the  Mission  ; 
Fray  Bernardo,  hunting  elk  in  the  sierra;  Fray  Jose,  gallivanting 
at  Puebla  de  los  Angeles,  ten  days'  journey  distant;  Fray  Chris- 
toval,  lassoing  colts  upon  the  plain.  Augustin,  thus  left  to  his 
own  resources,  had  just  eaten  his  vespertine  frijolitos  and  chile 
Colorado,  and  was  enjoying  a  post-cocnal  smoke  of  fragrant  pouche 
under  the  shadow  of  his  own  fig-tree. 

While  thus  employed,  an  Indian  dressed  in  Mexican  attira 
approached  him  hat  in  hand,  and,  making  a  reverential  bow, 
asked  his  directions  concerning  domestic  business  of  the  Mission. 
"  Hola !  friend  Jose,"  cried  Fray  Augustin  in  a  thick  guttera] 
voice,  "  pensaba  yo — I  was  thinking  that  it  was  very  nearly  this 
time  three  yeai-s  ago  when  those  '  malditos  Americanos'  came  by 
here  and  ran  off  with  so  many  of  our  cavallada." 

"  True,  reverend  father,"  answered  the  administrador,  "jus< 


THE  MOUNTAINEERS  AND   THE  CALIFORNIANS.      37 


three  years  ago,  all  but  fifteen  days  :  I  remember  it  well.  Maldi- 
tos  seun — curse  tlicm  !" 

"How  many  did  we  kill,  Jose?" 

"Quizas  moOchos — a  great  many,  I  dare  say.  But  they  did 
not  fight  fairly — charged  right  upon  us,  and  gave  us  no  time  to 
do  any  thing.  They  don't  know  how  to  fight,  these  Mericanos : 
come  right  at  you,  before  you  can  swing  a  lasso,  hallooing  like 
Indios  Bravos." 

"  But,  Jose,  how  many  did  they  leave  dead  on  the  field  V 

"  Not  one." 

"And  we?" 

"  Valgame  Dios  !  thirteen  dead,  and  many  more  wounded." 

"  That's  it !  Now.  Jf— these.-- aaxages  come  again  (and  the 
Chemeguaba,  who  came  in  yesterday,  says  he  saw  a  large  trail), 
we  must  fight  adentrp;:;;:7within:r:;::cuitsicle.is,n^^  as  you  very 

properly  say,,  Jose,  .thas;e,.A^.en|pjiigjdj2»,'J..i:iiow  how  to_  fi^ht,  and 

kill  us  before— :befQ|'.g„w.e..caxu-^li4h,§ffl,L_Ji^iiP'.!'' 

At  this  moment  there  issued  from  the  door  of  the  Mission  Don 
Antonio  Velez  Trueba,  a  G-achupiu — that  is,  a  native  of  Old 
Spain — a  wizened  old  hidalgo  refugee,  who  had  left  the  mother 
country  on  account  of  his  political  opinions,  which  were  stanchly 
Carlist,  and  li;id  toiiuil  lii.-^  way — how,  he  himself  scarcely  knew — 
from  ?(lexico  to  San  Francisco  in  Upper  California,  where,  having 
a  most  perfect  contempt  for  every  thing  Blexican,  and  hearing 
that  in  the  3Iission  of  San  Fernando,  far  away,  were  a  couple  of 
Spanish  padres  of  "  sangre  regular,"  he  had  started  into  the 
wilderness  to  ferret  them  out;  and  having  escaped  all  dangers  on 
the  route  (which,  however,  were  hardly  dangers  to  the  Don* who 
could  not  realizi'  tlii'  idea  of  scalp- taking  savages),  had  arrived 
with  a  whole  skin  at  the  Mission.  There  he  was  received  with 
open  arms  by  his  countryman  Fray  Augustin,  who  made  him 
welcome  to  all  the  place  afforded,  and  there  he  harmlessly  smoked 
away  his  time ;  his  heart  far  away  on  the  banks  of  the  Grenil  and 
in  the  grape-bearing  vegas  of  his  beloved  Andalusia,  his  withered 
cuerpo  in  the  sierras  of  Upper  California.  Don  Antonio  was  the 
walking  essence  of  a  Spaniard  of  the  ancien  regime.     His  family 

4 


38      THE  MOUNTAINEERS  AND   THE  CALIFORNIANS. 


dated  from  the  Flood,  and  with  the  exception  of  sundry  refresh- 
ing jets  of  Moorish  blood,  injected  into  the  Truebas  during  tho 
Moorish  epoch,  no  strange  shoot  was  ever  engrafted  on  their 
genealogical  tree.  The  marriages  of  the  family  were  ever  confined 
to  the  family  itself — never  looking  to  fresh  blood  in  a  station 
immediately  below  it,  which  was  not  hidalguenoj  nor  above,  since 
any  thing  higher  in  rank  than  the  Trueba  y  Trueba  family,  no 
habia,  there  was  not. 

Thus,  in  the  male  and  female  scions  of  the  house,  were  plainly 
visible  the  ill  efi"ects  of  breeding  ''in  and  in."  The  male  Truebas 
were  sadly  degenerate  Dons,  in  body  as  in  mind — compared  to 
their  ancestors  of  Boabdil's  day;  and  the  sennoritas  of  the  name 
were  all  eyes,  and  eyes  alone,  and  hardly  of  such  stamp  as  would 
nave  tempted  that  amorous  monarch  to  bestow  a  kingdom  for  a 
kiss,  as  ancient  ballads  tell. 

"  Duena  de  la  negra  toca, 
For  uu  beso  de  tu  boca, 

Diera  un  reyno,  Boabdil 
Y  yo  por  ello,  Christiana, 
Te  diera  de  buena  g.ana 

Mil  cellos,  si  fueran  mil." 

Come  of  such  poor  stock,  and  reared  on  tobacco  smoke  and 
"  gazpacho,"  Don  Antonio  would  not  have  shone,  even  among 
pigmy  Mexicans,  for  physical  beauty.  Five  feet  high,  a  frame- 
work of  bones  covered  with  a  skin  of  Andalusian  tint,  the  Trueba 
stood  erect  and  stiff  in  all  the  con.sciousness  of  his  "  sangre  regu- 
lar.-" His  features  were  handsome,  but  entirely  devoid  of  flesh, 
his  upper  lip  was  covered  with  a  jet-black  mustache  mixed  with 
gray,  his  chin  was  bearded  "  like  the  pard."  Every  one  around 
liim  clad  in  deer  and  goat-skin,  our  Don  walked  conspicuous  in 
shiuing  suit  of  black — much  the  worse  for  wear,  it  must  be  con- 
fessed— with  beaver  hat  sadly  battered,  and  round  his  body  and 
over  his  shoulder  an  unexceptionable  "  capa"  of  the  amplest  di- 
mensions. Asking,  as  he  stepped  over  him,  the  pardon  of  an 
Indian  urchin  who  blocked  the  door,  and  bowing  with  punctilious 


THE  ]\rOUNTAlNEERS  AND   THE  CALIFORNIANS.       39 


politeness  to  iho  stnrdy  mozas  -who  -were  grinding  corn,  Don 
Antonio  appro«ched  our  friend  Augustin,  who  was  discussing 
warlike  matters  with  his  administrador. 

"  Ilola  1  Don  Antonio,  how  do  you  find  yourself,  sir  ?" 

"  Perfectly  well,  and  your  very  humble  servant,  reverend 
father ;  and  your  worship  also,  I  trust  you  are  in  good  health  ?" 

"  Sill  novedad — without  novelty  j"  which,  since  it  was  one 
hour  and  a  half  since  our  friends  had  separated  to  take  their 
siestas,  was  not  impossible. 

"  Myself  and  the  worthy  Jose,"  continued  Fray  Augustin, 
"  were  speaking  of  the  vile  invasion  of  a  band  of  North  Ameri- 
can robbers,  who  three  years  since  fiercely  assaulted  this  peaceful 
Mission,  killing  many  of  its  inoffensive  inhabitants,  wounding 
many  more,  and  carrying  off  several  of  our  finest  colts  and  most 
promising  mules  to  their  dens  and  caves  in  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
Not  with  impunity,  however,  did  they  effect  this  atrocity.  Jose 
informs  me  that  many  of  the  assailants  were  killed  by  my  brave 
Indians.     How  many  said  you,  Jose  ?" 

"  Quizas  mo-o-ochos,"  answered  the  Indian. 

"  Yes,  probably  a  great  multitude,"  continued  the  padre;  "but, 
unwarned  by  such  well-merited  castigation,  it  has  been  reported 
to  me  by  a  Chemeguaba  mansito,  that  a  band  of  these  audacious 
marauders  are  now  on  the  road  to  repeat  the  offence,  numbering 
many  thousands,  well  mounted  and  armed;  and  to  oppose  these 
white  barbarians  it  behoves  us  to  make  every  preparation  of 
defence."* 

"There  is  no  cause  for  alarm,"  answered  the  Andaluz.  "I 
(tapping  his  breast)  have  served  in  three  wars ;  in  that  glorious 
one  '  de  la  Independencia,'  when  our  glorious  patriots  drove  the 
French  like  sheep  across  the  Pyrenees ;  in  that  equally  glorious 
one  of  1821 ;  and  in  the  late  magnanimous  struggle  for  the  legiti- 
mate rights  of  his  majesty  Charles  V.,  king  of  Spain  (doffing  his 
hat),  whom  God  preserve.  With  that  right  arm,  "  cried  the 
spirited  Don,  extending  his  shriveled  member,  "  I  have  supported 

*  From  the  report  to  the  Governor  of  California  by  the  Head  of  the  Missiou, 
in  reference  to  the  attacks  by  the  American  Mountaineers. 


40       THE  MOUNTAINEERS  AND    THE  CALIFORNIANS. 


the  throne  of  my  kings — have  fought  for  my  country,  mowing 
down  its  enemies  before  me;  and  with  it,"  vehemently  exclaimed 
the  Gachupin,  working  himself  into  a  perfect  frenzy,  "  I  will  slay 
these  Norte  Americanos,  should  they  dare  to  show  their  faces 
in  my  front.  Adios,  Don  Augustin  Ignacio  Sabanal-Morales-y 
Fuentes,"  he  cried,  doffing  his  hat  with  an  earth-sweeping  bow; 
"  I  go  to  grind  my  sword.     Till  then,  adieu  I" 

"A  countryman  of  mine  I"  said  the  frayle,  admiringly,  to  the 
administrador.  "  With  him  by  our  side  we  need  not  to  fear ; 
neither  Norte  Americanos,  nor  the  devil  himself,  can  harm  us 
when  he  is  by." 

While  the  Trueba  sharpens  his  Tizona,  and  the  priest  puffs 
volumes  of  smoke  from  his  nose  and  mouth,  let  us  introduce  to 
the  reader  one  of  the  muchachitas,  who  knelt  grinding  corn  on 
the  metate,  to  make  tortillas  for  the  evening  meal.  Juanita  was 
a  stout  wench  from  Sonora,  of  Mexican  blood,  hardly  as  dark  as 
the  other  women  who  surrounded  her,  and  with  a  drop  or  two  of 
the  old  Spanish  blood  struggling  with  the  darker  Indian  tint  to 
color  her  plump  cheeks.  An  enagua  (a  short  petticoat)  of  red 
serge  was  confined  round  her  waist  by  a  gay  band  ornamented 
with  beads,  and  a  chemisette  covered  the  upper  part  of  the  body, 
permitting,  however,  a  prodigal  display  of  her  charms.  While 
pounding  sturdily  at  the  corn,  she  laughed  and  joked  with  her 
fellow- laborers  upon  the  anticipated  American  attack,  which  ap- 
peared to  have  but  few  terroi's  for  her.  "  Que  veugan,"  she  ex- 
claimed, "let  them  come;  they  are  only  men,  and  will  not  mobs 
us  women.  Besides.  I  have  seen  these  white  men  before — in  mj 
own  country,  and  they  are  fine  fellows,  very  tall,  and  as  white  as 
the  snow  on  the  sierras.     Let  them  come,  say  I !" 

"Only  hear  the  girl !"  cried  another;  "if  these  savages  come, 
then  will  they  kill  Pcdrillo,  and  what  will  Juanita  say  to  lose  her 
sweetheart  ?" 

"Pcdrillo!"  sneered  the  latter;  "what  care  I  for  Pedrillo  ? 
Soy  Mejicana,  yo — a  Mexican  girl  am  I,  I'd  have  you  know, 
and  don't  demean  me  to  look  at  a  wild  Indian.  Not  I,  indeed, 
by  my  salvation  i     What  I  say,  is,  let  the  Norte  Americanoa 


THE  MOUNTAINEERS  AND   THE  CALIFORNIANS.      41 


come.'*  At  this  juncture  Fray  Augustin  called  for  a  glass  of  aguar- 
diente, which  Juanita  was  dispatched  to  bring,  and  on  presenting 
it,  the  churchman  facetiously  inquired  why  she  wished  for  the 
Americans,  adding,  "  Don't  think  they'll  come  here — no,  no;  here 
we  are  brave  men,  and  have  Don  Antonio  with  us,  a  noble  fellow, 
well  used  to  arms."  As  the  words  were  on  his  lips,  the  clatter- 
ing of  a  horse's  hoofs  was  heard  rattling  across  the  loose  stones 
and  pebbles  in  the  bed  of  the  river,  and  presently  an  Indian 
herder  galloped  up  to  the  door  of  the  Mission,  his  horse  covered 
with  foam,  and  its  sides  bleeding  from  spur-wounds. 

"  Oh,  padre  mio  I"  he  cried,  as  soon  as  he  caught  sight  of  his 
reverence,  "  vicnen  los  Americanos — the  Americans,  the  Ameri- 
cans are  upon  us.  Ave  Maria  purissima  ! — more  than  ten  thou- 
sand are  at  my  heels  I" 

Up  started  the  priest,  and  shouted  for  the  Don. 

That  hidalgo  presently  appeared,  armed  with  the  sword  that 
had  graced  his  thigh  in  so  many  glorious  encounters — the  sword 
with  which  he  had  mowed  down  the  enemies  of  his  country,  and 
by  whose  aid  he  now  proposed  to  annihilate  the  American  savages, 
should  they  dare  to  appear  before  him. 

The  alarm  was  instantly  given;  peones,  vaqueros  hurried  from 
the  plains ;  and  milpas,  warned  by  the  deep-toned  bell,  which 
soon  rung  out  its  sonorous  alarum.  A  score  of  mounted  Indians, 
armed  with  gun  and  lasso,  dashed  off  to  bring  intelligence  of  the 
enemy.  The  old  gingall  on  the  roof  was  crammed  with  powder 
and  bullets  to  the  very  muzzle,  by  the  frayle's  own  hand.  Arms 
were  brought  and  piled  in  the  sala,  ready  for  use.  The  padre 
exhorted,  the  women  screamed,  the  men  grew  pale  and  nervous, 
and  thronged  within  the  walls.  Don  Antonio,  the  fiery  Andaluz, 
alone  remained  outside,  flourishing  his  whetted  saber,  and  roaring 
to  the  padre,  who  stood  on  the  roof  with  lighted  match,  by  the 
side  of  his  formidable  cannon,  not  to  be  affrighted.  "  That  he, 
the  Trueba  was  there  with  his  Tizona,  ready  to  defeat  the  devil 
himself  should  he  come  on." 

He  was  deaf  to  the  entreaties  of  the  priest  to  enter. 

4* 


42       THE  MOUNTAINEERS  AND  ^IlE  CALIFORNIANS. 


"Siempre  en  el  frente — Ever  ia  the  vau,"  he  .snid,  "  \7a3  tlio 
war  cry  of  the  Truebas." 

But  now  a  cloud  of  dust  was  seen  approaching  from  the  plain, 
and  presently  a  score  of  horsemen  dashed  headlong  toward  the 
Mission.  "  El  enemigo,"  shouted  Fray  Augustin  ;  and  without 
waiting  to  aim,  he  clapped  his  match  to  the  touch-hole  of  the 
gun,  harmlessly  pointed  to  the  sky,  and  crying  out  ''  In  el  nombre 
de  Dios" — in  God's  name — as  he  did  so,  was  instantly  knocked 
over  and  over  by  the  recoil  of  the  piece,  then  was  as  instantly 
seized  by  some  of  the  Indian  garrison,  and  forced  through  the 
trap-door  into  the  building ;  while  the  horsemen  (who  were  his 
own  scouts)  galloped  up  with  the  intelligence  that  the  enemy  was 
at  hand,  and  in  overwhelming  force. 

Thereupon  the  men  were  all  mounted,  and  formed  in  a  body 
before  the  building,  to  the  amount  of  more  than  fifty,  well  armed 
with  guns  or  bows  and  arrows.  Here  the  gallant  Don  harangued 
them,  and  infusing  into  their  hearts  a  little  of  his  own  courage, 
they  eagerly  demanded  to  be  led  against  the  enemy.  Fray  Au- 
gustin  re-appeared  on  the  roof,  gave  them  his  blessing,  advised 
them  to  give  no  quarter,  and  with  slight  misgivings,  saw  them 
ride  off  to  the  conflict. 

About  a  mile  from  the  Mission,  the  plain  gradually  ascended 
to  a  ridge  of  moderate  elevation,  on  which  was  a  growth  of  dwarf 
oak  and  ilex.  To  this  point  the  eyes  of  the  remaining  inmates  of 
the  convent  were  earnestly  directed  as  here  the  enemy  was  first 
expected  to  make  his  appearance.  Presently  a  few  figures  were 
seen  to  crown  the  ridge,  clearly  defined  against  the  clear  evening 
sky.  Not  more  than  a  dozen  mounted  men  composed  this  party, 
which  all  imagined  must  be  doubtless  the  vanguard  of  the  thou 
sand  invaders.  On  the  summit  of  the  ridge  they  halted  a  few 
minutes,  as  if  to  reconuoiter ;  and  by  this  time  the  Californian 
horsemen  were  halted  in  the  plain,  midway  between  the  Mission 
and  the  ridge,  and  distant  from  the  former  less  than  half-a-mile, 
60  that  all  the  operations  were  clearly  visible  to  the  lookers  on. 

The  enemy  wound  slowly,  ia  Indian  file,  down  the  broken 
ground  of  the  descent ;  but  when  the  plain  was  reached,  they 


THE  MOUNTAINEERS  AND   THE  CALIFORNIANS.      43 


formed  into  something  like  a  line,  and  trotted  fearlessly  toward 
the  Culifornians.  These  began  to  sit  uneasily  in  their  saddles ; 
nevertheless  they  made  a  forward  movement,  and  even  broke  into 
a  gallop,  but  soon  halted,  and  again  huddled  together.  Then  the 
mountaineers  quickened  their  pace,  and  their  loud  shout  was  heard 
as  they  dashed  into  the  middle  of  the  faltering  troop.  The  sharp 
cracks  of  the  rifles  followed,  and  the  duller  reports  of  the  smooth- 
bored  pieces  of  the  Californians,  flying  like  mad  across  the  level. 
The  little  steady  line  of  the  mountaineers  advanced,  and  pufis  of 
smoke  arose,  as  they  loaded  and  discharged  their  rifles  at  the  flying 
horsemen.  As  the  Americans  came  on,  however,  one  was  seen 
to  totter  in  his  saddle,  the  rifle  fell  from  his  grasp,  and  he  tumbled 
headlong  to  the  ground.  For  an  instant  his  companions  sur- 
rounded the  fallen  man,  but  again  forming,  dashed  toward  the 
Mission,  shouting  fierce  war-whoops,  and  brandishing  aloft  their 
long  and  heavy  rifles.  Of  the  defeated  Californians  some  jumped 
ofi'  their  horses  at  the  door  of  the  Mission,  and  sought  shelter 
within;  others  galloped  oflf  toward  the  sierra  in  panic-stricken 
flight.  Before  the  gate,  however,  still  paced  valiantly  the  proud 
hidalgo,  encumbered  with  his  cloak,  and  waving  with  difliculty 
his  sword  above  his  head.  To  the  priest  and  women,  who  implored 
him  to  enter,  he  replied  with  ci-ies  of  defiance,  "  Viva  Carlos 
Quinto,"  and,  "Death  or  glory."  He  shouted  in  vain  to  the 
flying  crowd  to  halt;  but,  seeing  their  panic  was  beyond  hope,  he 
clutched  his  weapon  more  firmly  as  the  Americans  dashed  at  him, 
closed  his  teeth  and  his  eyes,  thought  once  of  the  vega  of  his 
beloved  Genii,  and  of  Granada  la  Florida,  and  gave  himself  up 
for  lost.  Those  inside  the  mission,  when  they  observed  the  flight 
of  their  cavalry,  gave  up  the  defence  as  hopeless ;  and  already  the 
charging  mountaineers  were  almost  under  the  walls,  when  they 
observed  the  curious  figure  of  the  little  Don  making  demonstra- 
tions of  hostility. 

"  Wagh  \"  exclaimed  the  leading  hunter,  "  here's  a  little  crittur 
as  means  to  do  all  the  fighting;"  and  seizing  his  rifle  by  the 
barrel  he  poked  at  the  Don  with  the  butt-end,  who  parried  the 
blow,  and  with  such  a  sturdy  stroke,  as  nearly  severed  the  stock 


44      THE  MOUNTAINEERS  AND    THE  CALIFOENIAIS  fe 


ia  two.  Another  mountaineer  rode  up,  and  swinging  his  lasso 
overhead,  threw  the  noose  dexterously  over  the  Spaniard's  head, 
and  as  it  fell  over  his  shoulders,  drew  it  taut,  thus  securing  the 
arms  of  the  pugnacious  Don  as  in  a  vice. 

"  Quartel  \"  cried  the  latter  ;   "  por  Dios,  quartel  \" 

"  Quarter  be  d —  I"  exclaimed  one  of  the  whites,  who  under- 
stood Spanish  ;  "who's  a-goiu  to  hurt  you,  you  little  crittur  ?" 

By  this  time  Fray  Augustin  was  waving  a  white  flag  from  the 
roof,  in  token  of  surrender ;  and  soon  after  he  appeared  trembling 
at  the  door,  beseeching  tlie  victors  to  be  merciful  and  to  spare  the 
lives  of  the  vanquished,  when  all  and  every  thing  in  the  Mission 
would  be  freely  placed  at  their  disposal. 

"  What  does  the  niggur  say  ?"  asked  old  Walker,  the  leader 
of  the  mountaineers,  of  the  interpreter. 

"Well,  he  talks  so  queer,,  this  hos  can't  rightly  make  it  out." 

"  Tell  the  old  coon  then  to  quit  that,  and  make  them  darned 
greasers  clear  out  of  the  lodge,  and  pock  some  corn  and  shucks 
here  for  the  animals,  for  they're  nigh  give  out." 

This  being  conveyed  to  him  in  mountain  Spanish,  which  fear 
alone  made  him  understand,  the  padre  gave  orders  to  the  men  to 
leave  the  Mission,  advising  them  moreover,  not  to  recommence 
hostilities,  as  himself  was  kept  as  hostage,  and  if  a  finger  was 
lifted  against  the  mountaineers,  he  would  be  killed  at  once,  and 
the  Mission  burned  to  the  ground.  Once  inside,  the  hunters  had 
no  fear  of  attack,  they  eould  have  kept  the  building  against  all 
California;  so,  leaving  a  guard  of  two  outside  the  gate,  and  taking 
up  one  of  the  party  who  had  been  severely  wounded,  they  entered, 
made  themselves  at  home,  and  soon  were  paying  attention  to  the 
hot  tortillas,  meat,  and  chile  Colorado,  which  were  quickly  placed 
before  them,  washing  down  the  hot-spiced  viands  with  deep 
draughts  of  wine  and  brandy.  It  would  have  been  amusing  to 
have  seen  the  faces  of  these  rough  fellows  as  they  gravely  pledged 
each  other  in  the  grateful  liquor,  and  looked  askance  at  the  piles 
of  fruit  served  by  the  attendant  Hebes.  These  came  in  for  no 
little  share  of  attention,  it  may  be  imagined  ;  but  the  utmost  re- 
spect was  paid  to  them,  for  your  mountaineer,  rough  and  bear- 


A  MOUNTAITSTEER. 


THE  MOUNTAINEERS  AND    THE  CALIFORNIANS.      47 


like  though  he  be,  never  by  word  or  deed,  offends  the  modesty  of 
u  woman,  although  sometimes  obliged  to  use  a  compulsory  wooing, 
v/hen  time  is  not  allowed  for  regular  courtship,  and  not  unfre- 
cjuently  known  to  jerk  a  New  Mexican  or  Culifornian  beauty  be- 
hind his  saddle,  should  the  obdurate  parents  refuse  consent  to 
their  immediate  union.  It  tickled  the  Americans  not  a  little  to 
have  all  their  wants  supplied,  and  to  be  thus  waited  upon,  by 
what  they  considered  the  houris  of  paradise ;  and  after  their  long 
journey,  and  the  many  hardships  and  privations  they  had  suffered, 
their  present  luxurious  situation  seemed  scarcely  real. 

The  hidalgo,  released  from  the  durance  vile  of  the  lasso,  assisted 
at  the  entertainment ;  his  sense  of  what  was  due  to  the  "  sangre 
regular"  which  ran  in  his  veins  being  appeased  by  the  fact,  that 
he  sat  above  the  wild,  uncouth  mountaineers,  these  preferring  to 
squat  crosslegged  on  the  floor  in  their  own  fashion,  to  the  uncom- 
fortable and  novel  luxury  of  a  chair.  Walker,  indeed,  seemed  to 
have  quite  forgotten  the  use  of  such  pieces  of  furniture.  On 
Fray  Augustin  offering  him  one,  and  begging  him,  with  many 
protestations,  to  be  seated,  that  old  mountain  worthy  looked  at 
it,  at  the  padre,  turned  it  round,  and  at  length  comprehending 
the  intention,  essayed  to  sit.  This  he  effected  at  last,  and  sat 
orimly  for  some  moments,  when  seizing  the  chair  by  the  back,  he 
hurled  it  out  of  the  open  door,  exclaiming — "Wagh!  this  coon 
aint  hamshot  anyhow,  and  don't  want  such  fixins,  he  don't;"  and 
gathering  his  legs  under  his  body,  reclined  in  the  manner  cus- 
tomary to  him.  There  was  a  prodigious  quantity  of  liquor  con- 
sumed that  night,  the  hunters  making  up  for  their  many  banyans; 
but  as  it  was  the  pure  juice  of  the  grape,  it  had  little  or  no  effect 
upon  their  hard  heads.  They  had  not  much  to  fear  from  attacks 
on  the  part  of  the  Californians ;  but,  to  provide  against  all  emer- 
gencies, the  padre  and  the  Gachupin  were  "  hobbled,"  and  con- 
fined in  an  inner  room,  to  which  there  was  no  ingress  nor  egress 
save  through  the  door  which  opened  into  the  apartment  where 
the  mountaineers  lay  sleeping,  two  of  the  number  keeping  watch. 
A  fandango  with  the  Indian  girls  had  been  proposed  by  some  of 
them,  but  Walker  placed  a  decided  veto  on  this.     He  said  "they 


48      THE  MOUNTAINEERS  AND    THE  CxiLIFORNIANS. 


nad  need  of  sleep  now,  for  there  v/as  no  knowing  what  to-morrow 
might  bring  forth;  that  they  had  a  long  journey  before  them,  and 
winter  was  coming  on;  they  would  have  to  '  streak'  it  night  and 
day,  and  sleep  when  their  journey  was  over,  which  would  not  be 
until  Pike's  Peak  was  left  behind  them.  It  was  now  October, 
and  the  way  they'd  have  to  hump  it  back  to  the  mountains  would 
take  the  gristle  off  a  painter's  tail." 

Young  Ned  Wooton  was  not  to  the  fore  when  the  roll  was 
called.  He  was  courting  the  Sonora  wench,  Juanita,  and  to  some 
purpose ;  for  we  may  at  once  observe,  that  the  maiden  accompa- 
nied the  mountaineer  to  his  distant  home,  and  at  the  present  mo- 
ment is  sharing  his  lodge  on  Hard-scrabble  creek  of  the  upper 
Arkansas,  having  been  duly  and  legally  married  by  Fray  Augus- 
tin  before  their  departure. 

But  now  the  snow  on  the  ridge  of  the  Sierra  Madre,  and  the 
nightly  frosts;  the  angular  flights  of  geese  and  ducks  constantly 
passing  overhead;  the  sober  tints  of  the  foliage,  and  the  dead 
leaves  that  strew  the  ground ;  the  withering  grass  on  the  plain, 
and  the  cold  gusts,  sometimes  laden  with  snow  and  sleet,  that 
sweep  from  the  distant  snow-clad  mountains ;  all  these  signs 
warn  us  to  linger  no  longer  in  the  tempting  valley  of  San  Fer- 
nando, but  at  once  to  pack  our  mules  to  cross  the  dreary  and 
desert  plains  and  inhospitable  sierras;  and  to  seek  with  our  booty 
one  of  the  sheltered  bayous  of  the  P>,ocky  Mountains. 

On  the  third  day  after  their  arrival,  behold  our  mountaineers 
again  upon  the  march,  driving  before  them — with  the  assistance 
of  half  a  dozen  Indians,  impressed  for  the  first  few  days  of  the 
journey  until  the  cavallada  get  accustomed  to  travel  without  con- 
fusion— a  band  of  four  hundred  head  of  mules  tiud  horses,  them- 
selves mounted  on  the  strongest  and  fleetest  they  could  select 
from  at  least  a  thousand. 

Fray  Augustin  and  the  Hidalgo,  from  the  house-top,  watched 
them  depart ;  the  former  glad  to  get  rid  of  such  unscrupulous 
guests  at  any  cost,  the  latter  rather  loth  to  part  with  his  boon 
companions,  with  whom  he  had  quaffed  many  a  quartillo  of  Cali- 
fornian  wine.     Great  was  the  grief,  uud  violent  the  sobbing,  when 


THE  MOUNTAINEERS  AND    THE  CALIFORNIANS.      49 


all  the  girls  in  the  Mission  surrounded  Juanita  to  bid  her  adieu ; 
as  she,  seated  en  cavalier  on  an  easy  pacing  mule,  bequeathed 
her  late  companions  to  the  keeping  of  every  saint  in  the  calendar, 
and  particularly  to  the  great  St.  Ferdinand  himself,  under  whose 
especial  tutelage  all  those  in  the  Mission  were  supposed  to  live. 
Pedrillo,  poor  forsaken  Pedrillo,  a  sullen,  sulky  half-breed,  was 
overcome,  not  with  grief,  but  with  anger  at  the  slight  put  upon 
him,  and  vowed  revenge.  He  of  the  "  sangre  regular,"  having 
not  a  particle  of  enmity  in  his  heart,  waved  his  arm — that  arm 
with  which  he  had  mowed  down  the  enemies  of  Carlos  Quinto — 
aud  requested  the  mountaineers,  if  ever  fate  should  carry  them  to 
Spain,  not  to  fail  to  visit  his  quinta  in  the  vega  of  Genii,  which, 
with  all  in  it,  he  placed  at  their  worships'  disposal — con  muchis- 
siraa  franquoza. 

Fat  Fray  Augustin  likewise  waved  his  arm,  but  groaned  in 
spirit  as  he  beheld  the  noble  band  of  mules  and  horses,  throwing 
back  clouds  of  dnat  on  the  plain  where  they  had  been  bred.  One 
noble  roan  stallion  seemed  averse  to  leave  his  accustomed  pasture, 
and  again  and  again  broke  away  from  the  band.  Luckily  old 
\yalker  had  taken  the  precaution  to  secure  the  hell-mare  of  the 
herd,  and  mounted  on  her  rode  ahead,  the  animals  all  following 
their  well-known  leader.  As  the  roan  galloped  back,  the  padre 
was  in  ecstasy.  It  was  a  favorite  steed,  and  one  he  would  have 
gladly  ransomed  at  any  price. 

"Ya  viene,  ya  viene  I"  he  cried  out,  "now,  now  it's  coming! 
hurra  for  the  roan  I"  but,  under  the  rifle  of  a  mountaineer,  one  of 
the  Californians  dashed  at  it,  a  lasso  whirling  round  his  head,  and 
turning  and  twisting  like  a  doubling  hare,  as  the  horse  tried  to 
avoid  him,  at  last  threw  the  open  coil  over  the  animal's  head,  and 
led  him  back  in  triumph  to  the  band. 

"  Maldito  sea  aquel  Indio — curse  that  Indian  I"  quoth  the 
padre,  and  turned  away. 

And  now  our  sturdy  band — less  one  who  had  gone  under — 
were  fairly  on  their  way.  They  passed  the  body  of  their  comrade 
who  had  been  killed  in  the  fight  before  the  Mission ;  the  wolves, 
nr  Indian  dogs,  had  picked  it  to  the  bones ;  but  a  mound  near 

5 


60      THE  MOUNTAINEERS  AND    THE  CALIFOENIANS. 


by,  surmounted  by  a  rude  cross,  showed  wliere  the  CalifornianiS 
(seven  of  whom  were  killed)  had  been  interred — the  pile  of  stones 
at  the  foot  of  the  cross  testifying  that  many  an  ave  Maria  had 
already  been  said  by  the  poor  Indians,  to  save  the  souls  of  their 
slaughtered  companions  from  the  pangs  of  purgatory.  Ruxton's 
Life  in  the  Far  West. 


A   MEXICAN   INN. 


"//// 


DANIEL  BOONE. 


The  spring  of  17G9  rose  calmly  over  the  broad  woodlands  which 
»ay  immediately  beyond  the  mountains  to  the  west  of  Virginia. 
It  was  a  beauteous  wilderness,  known  as  yet  only  to  the  red  Indian, 
but  abounding  in  game  and  wild  fruits,  and  whatever  can  form  a 
temptation  to  man  seeking  for  a  residence.  At  that  time  there  lived 
in  Yadkin  valley,  in  North  Carolina,  a  hardy  peasant  of  about  thir- 
ty-seven years  of  age,  a  native  of  the  county  of  Somerset  in  Eng- 
land, but  long  naturalized  to  America,  and  now  married,  with  a  fa- 
mily of  several  children.  A  born  hunter  Daniel  was,  and  fond  of 
nothing  but  hunting — a  man  who  preferred  to  roam  the  moun- 
tain, and  sleep  in  a  cavern,  or  camp  by  a  rushing  spring,  to  the 
dull  farm  life  and  the  home  fire-side.  We  say  he  was  a  born 
hunter;  he  possessed  the  instinct  of  the  bee,  and  could  go  to  his 
own  dwelling  in  a  Ice-line  from  any  point  to  which  his  wander- 
ings might  carry  him.  Fatigue,  hunger,  and  exposure,  he  could 
bear  like  any  Indian.  Strong,  but  light,  active  as  a  deer,  cour- 
ageous, but  cautious,  kind,  silent,  thoughtful,  he  was  the  very 

(51) 


52  DANIEL   BOONE. 


man  to  act  the  part  of  pioneer.  Two  years  before  the  above  date, 
a  man  named  Finlay  had  gone  afar  in  the  land  of  the  red  man 
upon  a  mercantile  expedition.  Him  Daniel  sought  out,  and 
learned  that  of  a  truth  there  was  a  country  to  the  north-west 
where  buffalo  swarmed  like  flies  in  summer,  and  where  the  wild 
turkey  and  the  deer  were  scarce  worth  wasting  powder  upon.  He 
meditated  and  dreamed  upon  it  for  a  year,  talked  with  his  wife 
about  it,  who  endeavored  to  drive  it  from  his  mind ;  and  finally, 
tightening  his  belt,  and  putting  a  new  edge  upon  his  knife,  he 
shouldered  his  rifle,  bade  his  little  family  good-by,  and,  in  company 
with  five  comrades,  started  in  quest  of  the  country  of  Kentucky, 

Finlay  led  the  way.  For  five  weeks  did  the  little  band  toil  on 
and  on  through  hill  and  valley,  gushing  stream  and  tangled 
woods,  enduring  all  the  inclemency  of  the  elements,  till  at  length 
they  came  to  the  Red  river,  a  branch  of  the  Kentucky.  For 
months  they  hunted  with  success ;  but  at  length,  in  December, 
Boone  and  one  of  his  companions  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Indians, 
from  whom  they  only  escaped  by  stratagem.  On  returning  to  their 
camp,  they  found  it  deserted  by  the  rest. .  Determined  to  perse- 
vere, they  remained  in  it,  using  great  precautions  against  the 
hostile  Indians ;  until  Squire,  a  brother  of  Boone,  joined  him 
with  another  man,  and  entered  upon  the  same  kind  of  life.  A 
few  months  after,  by  the  death  of  one  man,  and  the  desertion  of 
another,  the  two  Boones  were  left  alone ;  and  thus  they  continued 
to  be  for  several  months,  when  Squire  was  compelled  to  return 
to  the  settlements  for  a  supply  of  ammunition,  and  Daniel  was 
left  without  a  dog  for  company — the  sole  white  man  in  all  tha* 
vast  region. 

It  is  impossible  for  men  who  have  grown  up  in  our  tame  civi 
lization  to  enter  into  the  feelings  of  one  so  situated.  Many  hun- 
dred miles  from  all  to  whom  he  could  look  for  aid ;  in  a  boundless 
wood,  filled  with  subtle  and  cruel  enemies ;  dependent  upon  his 
gun,  yet  with  a  scanty  store  of  ammunition;  without  a  comrade, 
or  the  hope  of  one — and  still  contented  and  cheerful,  nay,  very 
happy.  Every  day  he  changed  his  position ;  every  night  he  slept 
in  a  different  place  from  the  one  he  had  occupied  the  night  before; 


SIMOIN"  KENTOK 


p."5s; 


DANIEL   BOONE.  53 


constantly  in  danger,  he  was  forced  to  'bo  constantly  on  his  guard; 
but  freedom,  the  love  of  nature,  the  excitement  of  peril,  and  the 
pleasures  of  the  chase,  appear  to  have  repaid  him  for  all  his  trials, 
toils,  and  watchfulness.     One  circumstance,  which  helps  us  to 
explain  Boone's  security  while  among  the  bands  of  roaming 
savages,  and  as  we  should  suppose,  in  hourly  dread  of  losing  his 
life,  was  this  :  the  forests  of  Kentucky,  at  that  early  period,  were 
£lled  with  a  species  of  nettle,  which,  being  once  trodden  on,  re- 
tained for  a  long  time  the  impression  of  the  foot,  even  a  turkey 
might  with  ease  be  tracked  in  it.     This  weed  the  Indians,  numer- 
ous and  fearless,  took  no  pains  to  avoid,  while  the  solitary  hunter 
never  touched  it ;  it  thus  became  to  him  a  sure  and  easy  means 
of  knowing  the  presence,  position,  and  numbers  of  his  enemies, 
without  betraying  his  own  whereabouts.     There  is  an  anecdote 
of  ])Oone,  refcrrible  to  a  different  period,  which  gives  a  striking 
idea  of  such  a  stealthy  life  as  he  now  led.     He  had  approached 
the  Licking  river  from  the  west,  at  the  same  time  that  another 
adventurer,  Simon  Kenton,  had  reached  the  borders  of  the  valley 
from  the  east.     Each  paused  to  reconnoitre,  before  he  left  the 
covert  of  the  woods ;  and  each  ascertained  the  presence  of  another 
human  being  in  the  neighborhood.     Then  commenced  a  process 
on  the  part  of  each  for  learning  who  the  other  was,  without  re- 
vealing himself;   and  such  was  their  mutually  baffling  power  of 
concealment,  that  forty-eight  hours  passed  before  either  could 
satisfy  himself  that  the  other  was  not  an  Indian,  and  a  foe  ! 

Squire  Boone  returned  at  the  end  of  June,  (1770,)  and  the 
two  brothers  continued  to  hunt  together.  Meanwhile  a  band 
called  the  Long  Hunters,  led  by  Captain  James  Knox,  entered 
the  territory  on  the  south,  and  spent  some  time  in  it ;  but  Boone 
knew  nothing  of  their  proceedings.  He  and  his  brother  remained 
about  the  vale  of  the  Kentucky  till  the  ensuing  March,  and  then 
returned  home,  in  order  to  bring  more  settlers,  including  Daniel's 
family. 

In  the  autumn,  Boone  was  passing  again  into  Kentucky,  with 
five  families  besides  his  own,  and  forty  other  men,  when,  upon 
the  10th  of  October,  unlooked-for  as  thunder  from  a  clear  sky,  a 

5* 


64  DANIEL   BOONE. 


band  of  Indians  poured  upon  the  rear  of  the  little  emigrant  army 
a  deadly  fire.  Women  shrieked,  children  squalled,  the  cattle 
broke  and  ran,  horses  reared  and  plunged,  the  young  men  drew 
their  rifles  to  their  shoulders,  and  the  old  "  treed"  instantly.  A 
few  moments  decided  the  matter :  the  whites  were  victors;  but 
six  dead  men,  and  one  badly  wounded,  gave  them  an  idea  of  the 
nature  of  frontier  life.  Among  the  dead  was  Daniel's  eldest  son. 
The  party  retreated,  and  Boone  spent  another  year  in  inactivity. 
During  this  time  land-speculatoi's  and  surveyors  poured  into  the 
land  of  Kentucky,  and  roused  the  hostility  of  the  Indians  to  a 
high  pitch.  A  party  of  eight  hundred  of  them  were  only  saved 
from  destruction  by  Boone's  undertaking,  at  the  request  of  the 
governor  of  Virginia,  (the  Earl  of  Dunuiore,)  to  bring  them  off; 
in  which  duty  he  was  perfectly  successful. 

The  contention  between  the  colouistb  uud  tae  unjtlicr  country 
was  now  coming  to  a  head  j  and  it  was  iu  liiu  midst  of  teri'ors, 
inspired  by  the  policy  of  the  Britisli  iu  employing  the  Indians  as 
allies,  that  the  colonization  of  Kentucky  took  place.  James 
Harrod  was  the  first  to  buiid  a  house  in  that  regiou ;  this  was  iu 
1774.  Then  one  Richard  Henderson,  a  Carolinian,  by  Boone's 
assistance,  made  a  treaty  with  the  Cherokees  for  certain  lands 
lying  between  the  Kentucky  and  Cumberland  Ilivers,  where  it 
was  proposed  to  establish  a  colony.  The  ground  had  still  to  bo 
.fought  for  with  other  tribss;  but  in  spite  of  all  obstacles,  a  fort 
of  block-houses  and  cabiris  was  planted  in  the  summer  of  1775, 
at  Boonesborough — the  pioneer  working  with  his  axe  in  one  hand 
and  his  rifle  in  the  other.  A  sort  of  legislative  council  made  laws 
for  the  new  settlement,  which  was  regarded  as  an  off-shoot  from 
the  state  of  Virginia. 

Boone  then  returned  to  his  family,  which,  with  three  others, 
he  brought  into  Kentucky  in  Sei)tember.  The  four  women  of 
this  party — Mrs.  Boone,  Mrs.  M'Garry,  Mrs.  Denton,  and  Mrs. 
Hogan — were  the  first  of  white  complexion  who  entered  the 
country — the  "  mothers  of  the  west."  The  war  just  then  break- 
ing out,  and  all  the  horrors  of  Indian  hostility  impending,  the 
heroism  of  these  women  deserves  especial  honor. 


SHAAVANEE    CHIEF. 


P.  55. 


DANIEL   BOONE. 


55 


tt  soon  became  necessary  to  keep  a  careful  watch  upon  tho 
movements  of  the  Indians.  All  aloniz  tho  hnrW  ih-  impression 
gained  strength  that  savages,  instigated  and  backed  by  the 
British,  would  suddenly  swoop  down  and  lay  all  waste.  The 
huted  race  of  "  c:ibin(>rs,"  those  speculators  who  came  out  to 
obtain  a  pi-'jcuipaaa  i  ,-ii;  uy  Lu,i-,!iiig  a  cabin  and  planting  a 
crop;  the  wretclu^dtrauiTs  who  were  always  wandering  about  the 
frontier;  the  hunters,  who  were  revelling  among  the  countless 
herds  of  game,  now  for  the  first  time  seen — all  began,  during  the 
winter  and  spring  of  177G,  to  draw  closer  to  the  stations. 
And  within  these  stations  men  pat  round  the  fire  with  loaded 
ritluri,  aud  LuiU  u,lii-  .....t,  ui  ua\  cituiu  and  peril  with  uevf  interest, 
us  every  sound  reminded  them  how  near  their  deadly  enemies 
mi  "-lit  be.  And  from  hour  to  hour  scouts  came  in  with  rumors 
of  natives  seen  here  and  there;  and  parties  of  the  bold  rangers 
tightened  their  belts,  and  left  the  protection  of  their  forts,  to  learn 
the  truth  of  these  alarms.  But  there  was  one  who  sat  at  such 
times  silent,  and  seemingly  unheeding,  darning  his  hunting-shirt, 
or  mending  his  leggins,  or  preparing  his  rifle-balls  for  use ;  and 
yet  to  him  all  eyes  often  turned.  Two  or  three  together,  the 
other  hunters  started  by  day-light  to  reconnoitre;  silently  he  sat 
working  until  nightfall.  Then  noiselessly  he  went :  none  saw 
him  go.  But  when  they  observed  him  gone,  they  would  say, 
"  Now  we  shall  know  something  sure,  for  old  Daniel's  on  the 
track."  And  when,  by  and  bye,  some  one  yet  wakeful  saw  the 
shadow  of  Boone,  as  he  reentered  the  cabin,  he  found,  as  usual, 
that  the  solitary  scout  had  learned  all  that  was  to  be  known,  and 
the  watchful  slept  in  peace. 

In  July  the  storm  broke  upon  the  poor  colonists,  most  of  whom 
fled  before  the  wrath  of  the  Shawanese  and  Cherokees,  leaving 
only  a  few  determined  little  bands  in  the  forts.  It  was  a  terrible 
time;  yet  Daniel  Boone  was  never  dismayed.  One  day  his 
daughter  and  two  other  young  girls  were  amusing  themselves  in 
a  skifi"  on  the  Kentucky,  while  several  of  the  male  settlers  looked 
on.  Suddenly  they  felt  the  boat  taking  a  direction  for  the  oppo- 
site shore.     A  lurking  Indian  bad  swam  in,  and  caught  hold  of 


56  ■  DANIEL   BOONE. 


it,  and  the  poor  children  quickly  found  themselves  prisoners 
amongst  a  band  who  had  posted  themselves  in  a  little  thicket 
close  to  the  river.  The  settlers  heard  their*  scream  as.  they  were 
•  caught  and  hurried  oiF.  It  was  some  time  before  Boone,  and  a 
little  party  of  friends,  could  cross  to  commence  a  pursuit,  so  that 
the  Indians  got  the  start  for  several  miles.  At  daybreak  he  re- 
covei'ed  their  trail,  but  soon  lost  it  again  in  a  thick  wood,  to  pene- 
trate which  would  have  sadly  impeded  him.  Life  and  death, 
freedom  or  captivity,  hung  upon  the  right  use  of  every  moment. 
Boone  was  not  long  at  a  loss  5  turning  southward  Vv'ith  his  com- 
panions, so  as  to  leave  the  track  upon  his  loft,  having  carefully 
observed  its  general  direction,  and  feeling  sure  that  the  captors 
would  take  their  prisoners  to  the  Indian  towns  upon  either  the 
Scioto  or  Miami,  he  boldly  struck  forward,  and  travelled  witii  all 
speed  thirty  miles  or  more;  then  turning  at  right  angles  tv>w;irds 
the  north,  he  looked  narrowly  for  marks  of  the  passage  of  the 
marauders.  It  was  a  bold  and  keen  device,  and  the  event  proved 
it  a  sagacious  one;  for,  after  going  a  fcw^  miles  they  came  upim 
the' Indian  trail  in  one  of  the  great  buffalo  paths.  Inspirit*,  d  with  ' 
new  hope  and  strength,  the  whites  pushed  forward  quickly,  hut 
quietly,  and  on  the  alert,  lest  unexpectedly  they  might  come  upon 
the  red  men.  And  well  was  it  that  they  used  great  caution  ;  for 
when,  after  going  ten  miles,  they  at  length  caught  sight  of  the 
natives  as  they  were  leisurely,  and  half-stripped,  preparing  their 
dinner,  the  quick-eyed  sons  of  the  forest  saw  them  as  soon  as  they 
were  themselves  discovered.  Boone  had  feared  that,  if  their  ap- 
proach was  known,  the  girls  would  be  killed  instantly,  and  he 
was  prepared  for  instant  action.  So  soon,  therefore,  as  the  savages 
were  seen,  he  and  his  companions  fired,  and  then  the  v.diole-body 
rushed  forward  so  suddenly,  as  to  cause  their  opponents  to  take 
to  their  heels,  without  waiting  for  scalps,  guns,  knives,  moccas- 
sins,  or  blankets ;  and  the  three  terrified  girls  were  recovered 
unhurt. 

For  two  years  the  gallant  Kentuckiaus  maintained  their  posts 
amidst  incredible  hardships  and  dangers.  It  became  difficult  to 
supply  themselves  with  food,  as  there  was  hardly  any  safety  for 


-A 


CAPTURE   OF  DANIEL  BOONE.  P.  57. 


DANIEL   BOONE.  57 


cattle;  and  in  hunting,  men  were  frequently  cut  off  by  the  prow- 
ling enemy.  One  day,  as  the  women  of  Logan's  fort  were  milking 
the  cows,  attended  by  a  guard  of  men,  the  Indians  made  a  sudden 
attack,  and  killed  several  persons.  Such  incidents  were  very 
harassing.  The  commander  of  this  fort,  after  being  beleaguered 
by  the  savages  for  some  weeks,  found  himself  running  short  of 
powder  and  shot,  so  that  unless  relief  should  come  soon,  it  seemed 
inevitable  that  they  should  have  to  surrender.  The  required 
ammunition  could  only  be  got  two  hundred  miles  off,  across  a  wild 
and  mountainous  country.  Yet  he  resolved  to  make  the  attempt ; 
and  he  succeeded.  Over  mountain  and  vale,  through  tangled 
wood  and  brake,  this  man  sped  his  way  v.ith  two  companions,  and 
on  the  tenth  day  he  was  once  more  within  the  fort.  It  is  pleasant 
to  know  that  the  party  was  thus  able  to  hold  out  till  relieved. 

At  the  beginning  of  1778  there  were  but  three  stations  left, 
containing  in  all  a  hundred  and  ten  men ;  but  the  Indians  had 
been  baffled,  and  forced  to  retire  behind  the  Ohio ;  so  that  a  small 
breathing-time  was  afforded  to  the  settlers.  At  this  time  Boone 
was  compelled  to  go,  with  thirty  men,  to  the  Blue  Licks,  in  order 
to  prepare  salt  for  the  use  of  his  people.  He  had  succeeded  so 
far  in  his  object,  when  a  band  of  Indians  fell  upon  him  as  he  was 
hunting  singly  in  the  woods.  He  fled,  but  was  soon  overtaken, 
and  made  prisoner.  His  companions,  obeying  gestures  made  by 
him  at  a  distance,  surrendered,  and  the  whole  party  was  then  march- 
ed off  to  a  British  post,  where  several  officers  interceded  for  the  ran- 
som of  Boone,  but  without  success,  for  the  chief  had  taken  a  fancy 
to  him,  and  determined  to  make  him  one  of  themselves.  Boone  was 
actually  obliged,  for  some  months,  to  act  the  part  of  a  Shawanese 
Indian,  and  to  affect  a  reconciliation  to  their  habits.  He  was 
made  a  son  in  some  family,  and  caressed  by  father  and  mother, 
brothers  and  sisters,  till  he  was  thoroughly  sick  of  them.  Yet, 
to  appearance,  he  was  cheerful  and  happy.  He  took  his  part  in 
their  games  and  romps ;  shot  as  near  the  centre  of  the  target  as 
a  good  hunter  ought  to  do,  and  yet  left  the  savage  marksmen  a 
chance  to  excel  him ;  and  smiled,  in  his  quiet  eye,  when  he 
witnessed  their  joy  at  having  done  better  than  the  best  of  the 


5.8  DANIEL   BOONE. 


Long  Knives.  He  grew  into  favor  with  the  chief,  was  trusted, 
treated  with  respect,  and  listened  to  with  attention.  After  some 
months  of  captivity,  he  was  called  upon  to  accompany  a  salt- 
making  party  to  Chillicothe;  there  he  saw  a  body  of  450  painted 
warriors,  whom  ho  guessed  to  be  on  their  way  to  Boonesborough, 
to  make  final  work  of  it.  Could  he  do  nothing  to  save  his  family 
and  friends  ?  It  was  IGO  miles  of  wild  country  to  Boonesborough, 
and  not  a  friend  by  the  way.  Yet  it  was  necessary  he  should 
try.  So,  on  the  morning  of  the  IGth  of  June,  he  stole  away 
without  any  breakfast,  leaving  an  Indian  father  and  mother  in- 
consolable for  his  loss.  Over  hill  and  valley  he  sped,  for  four 
successive  days,  forty  luiles  a  day,  eating  but  one  meal  all  the 
way.  Such  power  there  is  in  the  human  frame  of  withstanding 
all  fatigue  and  hunger  when  the  soul  is  alive  and  strong  within  us. 

He  reached  Boonesborough — and  where  was  his  wife  ?  Why 
did  she  not  rush  to  meet  him  ?  ''Bless  your  soul,"  said  his  old 
companions,  as  they  hailed  him  like  one  risen  from  the  dead,  and 
shook  his  hand  till  it  tingled,  "  she  put  into  the  settlements  long 
ago ;  she  thought  you  was  dead,  Daniel,  and  packed  up,  and  was 
off  to  Carolina,  to  the  old  man's."  There  was  no  time  for  regrets, 
for  the  Indians  were  expected.  Days,  however,  passed  without 
showing  them ;  and  it  was  then  ascertained  that  they  were  brought 
to  a  stand  by  his  flight,  believing  that  he  must  have  given  warn- 
ing of  their  approach.  Some  weeks  after,  learning  that  the 
country  was  clear  of  the  Indians,  he  started  with  a  party  of  nine- 
teen for  the  town  on  Paint  Creek,  ijitending  probably  to  make 
some  kind  of  reprisals.  But  this  had  neaidy  proved  a  fatal  step, 
for,  by  the  way,  he  suddenly  popped  upon  an  Indian  party  going 
in  the  contrary  direction.  Judging  from  this  circumstance  that 
a  larger  body  must  be  on  its  way  to  attack  the  settlements,  he 
immediately  turned  back ;  and  it  was  well  he  did  so  just  then, 
as  he  only  got  back  a  day  before  the  Indians  and  British  appear- 
ed in  strength  at  Boonesborough. 

It  was  on  the  8th  of  August  that,  with  British  and  French 
flags  flying,  the  dusky  army  gathered  round  the  little  fortress 
of  logs,  defended  by  its  inconsiderable  garrison.     Captain  Du- 


GEORGE  ROGERS  CLARKE. 


P.  60. 


DANIEL   BOONE.  59 


quesno,  on  behalf  of  hiy  uiujesty  King  George  III.,  summoned 
Captain  Boone  to  surrender.  It  was,  as  Daniel  had  acknowledged 
in  his  journal,  a  critical  period  for  him  and  his  friends.  Should 
they  yield,  what  mercy  could  they  look  for  ?  and  he  especially, 
after  his  unkind  flight  from  his  Shawanese  parents  ?  Should 
they  refuse  to  yield,  v.-liat  hope  of  successful  resistance  ?  And 
they  had  so  much  need  of  all  their  cattle  to  aid  them  in  sustaining  a 
siege,  and  yet  their  cows  were  abroad  in  the  woods.  Daniel  pon- 
dered the  matter,  and  concluded  it  would  be  safe,  at  any  rate,  to 
ask  two  days  for  consideration.  It  was  granted,  and  he  drove  in 
his  cows!  The  evening  of  the  9th  soon  arrived,  however,  and 
he  must  say  one  tiling  or  another;  so  he  politely  thanked  the 
representative  of  his  gracious  majesty  for  giving  the  garrison 
time  to  prepare  for  their  defence,  and  announced  their  determi- 
nation to  fight.  The  British  officers  professed  so  much  apparently 
sincere  regret  for  this  resolution,  that  Daniel  was  induced,  after 
all,  to  come  to  a  negotiation.  It  wj.^  to  take  place  immediately 
beyond  the  widls  of  the  fort,  betwetm  nine  of  the  garrison  and  a 
party  of  the  eucniy.  To  guard  ngair.st  treachery,  the  sharpest 
shooters  stood  upon  the  v/alls,  ready  to  defend  their  friends.  The 
treaty  was  nia;l.!  and  signed;  and  then  the  Indians,  saying  it  was 
their  custosn  for  two  of  them  to  shake  hands  with  every  white  man 
when  a  treaty  was  made,  expressed  a  wish  to  press  the  palms  of 
their  new  allies.  Boone  and  his  comrades  must  have  looked 
rather  queer  at  this  proposal ;  but  it  seemed  safer  to  accede  than 
to  refuse;  so  they  presented  each  his  hand.  As  anticipated,  the 
warriors  seized  thorn  with  rough  and  fierce  eagerness;  the  whites 
drew  biick  struggling;  the  treachery  was  apparent.  The  rifle- 
bails  from  the  garrison  struck  down  the  foremost  of  the  assailants 
of  the  little  band ;  and,  amid  a  fire  from  friends  and  foes,  Boone 
and  his  fellow-deputies  bounded  back  into  the  station,  with  the 
exception  of  one,  unhurt. 

The  treaty-trick  having  thus  failed.  Captain  Duquesne  had  to 
look  to  more  ordinary  modes  of  warfare;  and  opened  a  fire, 
which  lasted  ten  days ;  though  to  no  purpose,  for  the  woodsmen 
were  determined  not  to  yield.     On  the  *20tli  of  August  the  In- 


60 


DANIEL  BOONE. 


dians  were  forced  unwillingly  to  retire,  having  lost  thirty-seven 
of  their  number,  and  wasted  a  vast  amount  of  powder  and  lead. 
The  garrison  picked  up  from  the  ground,  after  their  departure, 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds  of  their  bullets. 

It  was  amidst  such  scenes  that  the  foundation  of  the  state  of 
Kentucky  was  laid,  by  a  mere  handful  of  rough,  but  high-spirited 
men.  The  year  '78  was  the  crisis  of  its  fate.  But  for  the  stand 
then  made,  it  would  probably  have  been  no  part  of  the  American 
Union.  Animated  by  the  reports  of  the  courage  of  the 
first  settlers,  multitudes  now  poured  in,  and  soon  placed  it 
beyond  all  danger.  In  the  ensuing  events,  the  conspicuous  man 
was  George  Rogers  Clark,  who  took  the  British  governor,  Hamil- 
ton, prisoner  at  Vincennes.  It  is  undoubted,  however,  that  the 
real  hero  of  the  settlement  was  he  who  had  first  entered  upon  it, 
and  who  had  stood  by  it  through  all  its  earliest  and  worst  strug- 
gles— Daniel  Boone  This  remarkable  man  closed  his  career  in 
1818,  having  lived  to  see  Kentucky  one  of  the  most  flourishing 
and  populous  states  of  the  Union. 


WHALING  ADVENTURES. 


The  American  spirit  has  found  no  more  brilliant  fields  for  the 
display  of  hardihood  and  enterprise  th;m  whaling  afi'ords.  The 
dangers  to  be  encountered  in  the  pursuit  are  recommendations 
rather  than  objections  in  the  eyes  of  the  bold  and  persevering 
seamen  of  New  England.  Long  ago  were  the  deeds  of  these  men 
eulogized  in  one  of  the  glorious  speeches  of  Edmund  Burke,  which 
all  must  have  read  and  admired ;  and  since  the  period  when  they 
called  forth  such  praise,  there  has  been  no  falling  off  in  the  charac- 
ter, Avhile  there  has  been  a  great  increase  in  the  extent  of  their  ex- 
ploits. New  Bedford,  Nantucket,  New  London,  and  Sag  Harbor 
yearly  send  forth  many  ships  for  the  prosecution  of  this  profitable 
business. 

At  those  ports  strange  scenes  occur,  belonging  exclusively  to 
America.  There  the  Yankee  tar  may  be  seen  in  his  full  perfec- 
tion ;  with  long  and  wiry  limbs,  hard  features,  keen  eyes,  nasal 
voice,  and  yarns  that  stretch  to  the  "  crack  of  doom."  The  Pa- 
cific is  the  destination  of  most  of  the  vessels  that  sail  from  the 
New  England  ports.  But  many  go  to  search  for  the  valuable 
Greenland  whale  in  the  North  Atlantic.  The  voyages  frequently 
last  three  or  four  years — a  long  time  for  men  to  be  absent  from 


6 


(61) 


62  WHALING    ADVEi\TURES. 


their  native  land,  and  from  their  families  and  friends.  Yet  the 
number  of  persons  engaged  in  the  fishery  shows  that  it  possesses 
charms  other  than  those  of  pecuniary  profit.  Its  very  perils — 
and  they  are  numerous — cause  many  to  join  in  it.  They  seek 
adventure  as  they  seek  food,  and  to  be  without  some  daring  and 
difiicult  exploit  or  '^  hair-breadth  'scape/'  which  may  form  the 
burden  of  a  brag,  is  to  them  a  sore  deprivation. 

The  whale  is  the  largest  of  all  known  animals.  Three  varie- 
ties are  distinguished ;  the  Greenland,  called  by  the  sailors  the 
right  whale,  as  being  most  highly  prized  by  them;  the  great 
northern  rorqual,  called  by  fishers  the  razor-back,  or  finner,  and 
the  cachalot,  or  spermaceti  whale.  The  common  whale  measures 
from  sixty  to  seventy  feet  in  length ;  the  mouth  when  open,  is 
large  enough  to  admit  a  ship's  jolly  boat,  with  all  her  men  in  it. 
It  contains  no  teeth ;  and  enormous  as  the  creature  is,  the  open- 
ing to  the  throat  is  very  nai-row,  not  more  than  one  inch  and  a  half 
across  in  the  largest  whale.  The  food  of  the  whale  consists  of 
shrimps,  small  fishes,  sea-snails  and  innumemble  minute  creatures, 
called  medusae,  which  are  found  in  those  seas  where  the  whales 
feed,  in  such  vast  quantities  that  they  make  the  water  of  a  deep 
green  or  olive  color.  In  swallowing  these,  the  whale  takes  in  a 
great  quantity  of  water,  which  passes  back  through  the  nostrils, 
and  is  collected  in  a  bag,  placed  at  the  external  orifice  of  the 
cavity  of  the  nose,  whence  it  is  expelled  by  the  pressure  of  pow- 
erful muscles  through  a  very  narrow  opening  in  the  top  of  the 
head.  In  this  way,  it  spouts  the  water  in  beautiful  jets  from 
twenty  to  thirty  feet  in  height.  But  enough  information  con- 
cerning the  whale,  the  whale  fishery,  and  the  American  whale- 
fishermen  will  be  found  in  the  following  interesting  narratives,  to 
enable  us  to  dispense  with  further  description. 

No  finer  ship  than  the  Essex  ever  sailed  upon  a  whaling  voy- 
age. She  belonged  to  Nantucket,  in  whose  harbor  many  a  noblo 
craft  finds  anchorage.  But  the  Essex  was  considered  a  stouter 
ship  and  a  better  sailer  than  any  of  her  neighbors.  She  rode  the 
waves  as  if  a  favorite  of  the  winds.  Her  Captain,  George  Pol- 
lard, was  a  fine  specimen  of  the  New  England  tar.     His  voyages 


\niALING    ADVENTURES.  63 


had  been  iniiny,  and  liis  experience  was  such  as  to  entitle  him  to 
be  called  "  an  oM  salt."  Finn,  dotcrmincd,  skilful,  ready  wittcd 
and  good-huuiorcd,  he  was  crjually  desirable  as  a  commander  or 
a  companion.  No  one  who  had  sailed  under  him  had  just  cause 
to  complain  of  his  severity,  while  most  loved  him  as  if  he  were  a 
provident  father.  Captain  Pollard  had  a  wife  and  daughter  at 
Nantucket,  who  mourned  his  absence  during  his  long  and  distant 
A'oyagcs;  and  he  had  more  than  once  resolved  to  abandon  his 
•sea  life  and  seek  some  other  means  of  procuring  comfort  and  in- 
dependence for  his  family.  Yet  the  resolution  was  not  performed. 
However,  it  was  understood,  that  the  captain  was  about  to  make 
his  last  voyage. 

In  August,  1819,  the  Essex  was  prepared  for  sea.  Her 
whaling  equipment  was  renewed,  and  a  plentiful  stock  of  provi- 
sions was  shipped.  Her  crew  consisted  of  21  men,  fourteen  of 
whom  were  whites,  mostly  belonging  to  Nantucket;  the  remain- 
der were  blacks.  Siie  was  destined  for  the  Pacific.  Every  thing 
being  ready.  Captain  Pollard  bade  his  weeping  wife  and  daughter 
an  affectionate  farewell,  brushed  the  tear  from  his  manly  cheek, 
stepped  aboard  of  his  vessel — his  kingdom,  and  ordered  his  men 
to  weigh  anchor.  As  the  vessel  was  moving  out,  a  violent  storm 
arose,  and  she  was  forced  to  put  back.  The  Yankee  sailors  arc 
not  very  superstitious,  but  they  have  their  notions  of  signs  and 
omens,  and  such  an  incident  was  not  regarded  as  favorable.  But 
the  storm  soon  passed,  and  once  more  the  Esses  set  her  bow  sea- 
wai-d.  As  the  houses  of  Nantucket  were  lessening  in  the  dis- 
tance, and  as  the  town  assumed  the  appearance  of  a  black  line 
upon  the  waves,  Captain  Pollard  and  the  first  mate,  Owen  Chase, 
stood  upon  the  deck  in  conversation.  Owen,  a  long  and  hungry- 
looking  creature,  as  hard  as  the  granite  of  his  native  New  Hamp- 
shire, had  observed  the  captain  wearing  an  unusually  solemn 
countenance,  and  as  he  gazed  intently  at  his  fading  home,  biting 
his  lip  to  suppress  his  emotion. 

"  Nantucket  '11  soon  be  jest  any  where  but  in  sight,  Cap'n.  It 
'11  be  a  short  spell  afore  we  get  it  within  range  again,"  said  the 
mate,  prying  indirectly  at  the  Captain's  thoughts  and  feelings. 


64  WHALING   ADVENTURES. 


'' YeS;  Chase,  a  long  time  will  elapse  before  we'll  touch  home 
asrain.  Confound  it  !  I  don't  know  what  has  come  over  mc.  I 
never  felt  so  streaked  and  down  in  the  mouth  on  leaving  land 
before." 

"Better  take  a  glass  of  grog,  Cap'n.  Prehaps  your  sto- 
mach's out  of  order,  and  that  makes  you  feel  queerish/'  said  the 
mate. 

"  Well,  that  may  be  the  case,"  replied  Pollard,  unwilling  to 
let  the  mate  into  the  real  state  of  aifairs.  "  That  may  be  the 
case.  You  must  come  and  take  a  glass  with  me.  But,  I  say, 
did  you  ever  take  to  mind  what  an  unfortunate  name  for  a  ves- 
sel, this  Esses  is?  I  don't  think  there  ever  was  a  lucky  vessel 
that  bore  it." 

"  Wull,  now  I  come  to  think,  there  have  been  several  vessels 
that  have  been  christened  so,  that  have  gone  down.  Some  names 
seem  to  have  a  hard  fate  always  tied  to  them.  But  this  is  a 
noble  ship,  and  arter  all's  said  and  done,  there's  no  rule  on  the 
subject." 

"Just  so,"  said  the  Captain,  whatever  he  thought,  and  the 
two  descended  to  his  cabin.  We  pass  over  the  monotonous  days 
of  the  voyage  which  ensued.  That  monotony  was  unbroken 
until  the  Essex  arrived  at  the  whaling  ground.  The  sailors 
laughed  and  joked,  and  spun  yarns,  and  wormed  themselves  into 
each  other's  secrets;  and  then,  becoming  tired,  longed  for  new 
faces  and  new  scenes.  In  November  of  the  nest  year,  in  latitude 
0°  40'  S.,  longitude  119°  W.,  the  crew  had  the  gratification  of 
discovering  a  school  of  whales.  The  boats  were  instantly  man- 
ned; they  were  always  equipped  with  lines,  harpoons,  &c.,  and 
prepared  for  service.  The  Captain  commanded  in  one  boat;  the 
first  mate  and  the  second  mate  controlled  the  movements  of  the 
other  two. 

The  esperienced  eye  of  the  first  mate  soon  detected  a  young 
whale  beside  its  dam.  The  Avhale  shows  great  affection  for  her 
young,  which  is  called  the  calf.  The  fishermen  well  know  this, 
and  turn  it  to  their  own  account.  They  try  to  strike  the  young 
with  the  strong  barbed  harpoon,  and  if  they  do  this  they  are  al- 


WHALING   ADVENTURES.  65 


jure  of  securing  the  mother  also,  as  nothing  will  induce  her  to 
leave  it.  Boswell  caused  his  men  to  row  towards  the  calf,  which 
was  about  half  the  size  of  its  monstrous  mother;  and  when  within 
about  fifty  feet  of  it,  he  struck  the  harpoon  into  its  back,  forwards, 
towards  the  fins.  The  first  effort  of  the  stricken  fish  was  to  es- 
cape from  the  boat  by  sinking,  its  mother  remaining  alongside  of 
it.  Down — down  it  went,  taking  the  line  with  it  at  such  a  rapid 
rate,  that  tne  side  of  the  boat  was  several  times  on  fire  from  the 
friction.  But  the  fish  cannot  remain  long  under  water;  it  was 
forced  to  rise  in  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  by  that  time, 
the  other  two  boats  were  in  the  vicinity.  The  mother  rose  about 
the  same  time,  and  expressed  her  sympathy  with  the  convulsive 
throes  of  her  calf,  by  striking  the  water  with  her  fins  and  tail 
with  such  tremendous  force,  that  the  sea  was  covered  with  foam, 
and  the  boats  were  in  great  danger  of  being  destroyed.  In  these 
circumstances,  Pollard  and  his  men  displayed  great  presence  of 
mind  and  daring  courage.  Three  or  four  more  harpoons  were 
thrown  at  the  calf,  lances  pierced  its  vitals;  it  spouted  streams 
of  blood,  and  at  length  lay  dead  upon  the  water.  The  mother 
now  displayed  her  affection  by  swimming  around  it,  rolling  over 
with  it,  and  furiously  striking  around  with  her  tail.  She  made 
no  attempt  to  escape,  though  the  fatal  harpoon  was  thrown  into 
her  body ;  and  after  receiving  many  wounds  from  the  persevering 
foe,  she  died  beside  her  offspring.  The  sea  around  was  dyed 
with  blood,  and  covered  with  foam.  The  death  of  the  game, 
which  was  made  evident  by  their  lying  still,  and  upon  their 
Bides,  was  welcomed  with  loud  hurrahs  and  striking  of  flags. 
Every  boat  fast  to  a  living  whale  carries  a  flag,  and  the  ship  to 
which  such  boat  belongs  also  wears  a  flag  until  the  whale  is  either 
killed  or  makes  its  escape.  These  signals  serve  to  indicate  to 
Burrounding  ships  the  exclusive  title  of  the  "  fast  ship,"  to  the 
entangled  whale,  and  to  prevent  their  interference,  exfX3pt  in  the 
way  of  assistance  in  the  capture. 

Both  these  whales  were  secured  within  forty  minutes  from  the 
time  of  the  throwing  of  the  first  harpoon.  The  average  length 
of  time  consumed   in    the  capture  of  a  whale  m'^y  be  stated 


66  WHALING   ADVENTURES. 


at  an  liour.  But  active  and  skillful  fishermen,  under  favorable 
circumstances  will  often  secure  their  prey  within  one-half  that 
time. 

Our  triumphant  hunters  of  the  sea  had  now  to  perform  tbo 
more  laborious,  though  less  dangerous  part  of  their  work.  Two 
holes  were  pierced  in  the  tail  of  each,  and  a  rope  passed  several 
times  through  them  was  fastened  to  the  bows  of  the  boats  of  the 
Captain  and  first  mate.  The  difficult  operation  of  freeing  the 
whales  from  the  entanglement  of  the  lines  was  then  attempted. 
As  the  whales  lay  on  their  sides,  the  lines  and  harpoons  were 
far  under  water.  As  they  hung  obliquely  they  were  hooked  up 
with  a  grapnel,  though  not  without  considerable  exertion,  and 
cut.  While  this  was  in  progress,  the  men  of  the  second  mate's 
boat  employed  themselves  in  fastening  their  boat  to  the  bow  of 
the  first  mate's  to  aid  in  towing  the  large  whale  towards  the 
ship.     Signals  being  made,  the  ship  steered  for  the  boats. 

The  fish  being  towed  to  the  vessel,  were  taken  to  the  larboard 
side  and  arranged  for  flensing,  as  the  operation  of  securing  the 
whalebone  and  blubber  is  called.  The  following  account  of  the 
arrangement  and  performance  may  not  be  uninteresting. 

"  Towards  the  stern  of  the  ship,  the  head  of  the  fish  is  directed  _ 
and  the  tail,  which  is  first  cut  oiF,  sent  abreast  of  the  fore  chains. 
The  smallest  or  posterior  part  of  the  whale's  body,  where  the  tail 
is  united,  is  called  the  rump,  and  the  extremity  or  anterior  part 
c^f  the  head  is  drawn  in  an  opposite  direction  by  means  of  the 
nose  tackles.  Hence,  the  body  of  the  fish  is  forcibly  extended. 
The  right-side  fin,  being  next  the  ship  is  lashed  upwards  towards 
the  gunnel.  A  band  of  blubber,  two  or  three  feet  in  width,  en- 
circling a  fish's  body,  and  lying  between  the  fins  and  the  head, 
being  the  fat  of  the  neck,  or  what  corresponds  to  the  neck  in 
other  animals,  is  called  the  henty  because  by  means  of  it  the  fish 
is  turned  over  or  hented.  In  the  commencement  of  this  band  of 
fat  or  kent  is  fixed  the  lower  extremity  of  a  combination  of  pow- 
erful blocks,  called  the  hent  purchase.  Its  upper  extremity  is 
fixed  round  the  head  of  the  main  mast,  and  ha  fall  or  rope  is  ap- 
plied to  the  windlass,  drawn  tight,  and  the  uj^per  surface  of  the 


WHALING   ADVENTURES.  67 


fish  risiniT  several  inches  above  tlic  water.  The  enormous  weight 
of  a  whalo  prevents  the  possibility  of  raising  it  more  than  one 
fourth,  or  one  fifth  part  out  of  the  water,  except,  indeed,  when  it 
has  been  some  days  dead,  in  which  case  it  swells  in  consequence 
of  air  generated  by  putrefaction,  until  one  third  of  its  bulk  ap- 
pears above  the  surface ;  the  fish  then  lying  belly  upwards,  ex- 
tended and  well  secured,  is  ready  f(ir  the  operation  of  flensing. 

"  After  the  whale  is  properly  secured  along  side  of  the  ship,  the 
harpooners,  having  their  feet  armed  with  spurs,  to  prevent  them 
from  slipping,  descend  upon  the  fish  Two  boats,  each  of  which 
is  under  the  guidance  of  one  or  two  boys,  atte'nd  upon  them,  and 
serve  to  hold  all  their  knives,  and  other  apparatus.  Thus  pro- 
vided, the  harpooners,  directed  by  the  specksioner,*  divide  the 
fat  into  oblong  pieces,  or  'slips,'  by  means  of  'blubber  spades' 
and  'blubber  knives;'  then  afiixing  a  'speck-tackle'  to  each 
slip,  flay  it  progressively  off",  as  it  is  drawn  upwards.  The  speck- 
tackles,  which  are  two  or  three  in  number,  are  rendered  eff'ective 
by  capstern  winches,  or  other  mechanical  powers.  The  flensera 
commence  with  the  belly  and  under  jaw,  being  the  only  part  then 
above  water.  The  blubber,  in  pieces  of  half  a  ton  each,  is  re- 
ceived on  deck,  and  divided  into  portable,  cubical,  or  oblong 
pieces,  containing  near  a  solid  foot  of  fat,  and  passed  down  be- 
tween decks,  when  it  is  packed  in  a  receptacle  provided  for  it  in 
the  hold,  or  other  suitable  place,  called  the  flens-gut,  where  it 
remains  until  fuither  convenience. 

"  All  the  fat  being  taken  av,-ay  from  the  belly,  and  the  right  fin 
removed,  the  fi.sh  is  then  turned  round  on  its  side  by  means  of 
the  kent,  which,  by  the  power  of  tlie  windlass,  readily  performs 
this  office.  The  upper  surface  of  fat  is  again  removed,  together 
with  the  left  fin,  and  after  a  second  kentiug,  one  of  the  '  lips'  is 
taken  away,  by  which  the  whalebone  of  one  side  of  the  head,  now 
lying  -nearly  horizontal,  is  exposed.  The  fish  being  a  little 
further  turned,  the  whalebone  of  the  left  side  is  dislodged  by  the 

*  Tho  name  of  this  officer  was  introduced  by  the  Dutch,  and  is  derived  from 
the  word  specie,  which,  in  their  hmguage,  is  aiiplied  to  the  fr.i  of  tlio  whale,  as 
well  as  to  that  of  other  animals. 


68  WHALING   ADVENTURES. 


use  of  "bono  hand-spikes,"  ''bone  knives,"  and  ''bone  spades." 
These  constitute  what  are  called  "  bone  geer,"  and  are  used,  with 
the  assistance  of  speck-tackles,  for  taking  up  the  whalebone  in 
one  mass.  On  its  arrival  on  deck  it  is  split  with  bone  wedgca 
into  'junks,'  containing  five  to  ten  blades  each,  and  stowed  away. 
A  further  kenting  brings  the  fish's  back  upward,  and  the  next 
exposes  the  second  side  of  bone.  As  the  fish  is  turned  round, 
every  part  of  the  blubber  becomes  successively  uppermost,  and  is 
removed.  At  length,  when  the  whole  of  the  blubber,  whalebone, 
and  jaw  bones  have  been  taken  on  board,  the  kent,  which  now 
appears  a  slip  of  perhaps  30  feet  in  length,  is  also  separated,  to- 
gether with  the  rump  rope,  and  nose  tackle,  on  which  the  car- 
cass, being  at  liberty,  generally  sinks  in  the  water  and  disap- 
pears. 

"  When  sharks  are  present,  they  generally  help  themselves  very 
plentifully  during  the  progress  of  the  flensing;  but  they  often 
pay  for  their  temerity  with  their  lives.  Fulmars  pay  close  at- 
tendance in  immense  numbers.  They  seize  the  fragments  occa- 
sionally disengaged  by  the  knife,  while  they  are  swimming  in 
the  water;  but  most  of  the  other  gulls,  who  attend  on  the  occa- 
sion, take  their  share  on  the  wing.  The  burgomaster  is  decidedly 
master  of  the  feast.  Hence  every  bird  is  obliged  to  relinquish 
the  most  delicious  morsel,  when  the  burgomaster  descends  to 
claim  it. 

"When  despatch  is  seconded  by  ability,  the  operation  of  flensing 
can  be  performed  on  a  whale,  affording  20  or  30  tons  of  blubber. 
in  the  space  of  three  or  four  hours.  Flensing  in  a  swell  is  a 
most  difficult  and  dangerous  undertaking,  and  when  the  swell  is 
considerable,  it  is  commonly  impracticable.  No  ropes  or  blocks 
are  capable  of  bearing  the  jerk  of  the  sea.  The  hai'pooners  are 
annoyed  by  the  surge,  and  repeatedly  drenched  in  water,  and  are 
likewise  subject  to  be  wounded  by  the  breaking  of  ropes,  or  hooks, 
or  tackles,  and  even  by  strokes  from  each  other's  knives.  Hence, 
accidents  in  this  kind  of  flensing  are  not  uncommon.  The  har- 
pooncrs  not  unfrecpently  fall  into  the  fish's  niou'ih,  when  it  is 


WHALING  ADVENTURES.  69 


jxposed  by  the  removal  of  a  surface  of  blubber ;  -wlicrc  tbey  miglit 
easily  be  drowned,  but  for  prompt  assistance." 

Our  fishermen  performed  the  flensing  process  •with  much  good 
humor  and  activity.  The  kreug,  or  carcass  of  the  large  whale 
was  out  adrift,  and  the  flensing  of  the  young  one  was  completed, 
when  a  terrible  accident  occurred.  | 

Chase  stood  on  one  of  the  jaw  bones  of  the  fish,  with  a  boat  by 
his  side.  In  this  situation,  while  he  was  in  the  act  of  cutting 
the  kreng  adrift,  a  boy  inadvertently  stuck  the  point  of  the  boat- 
hook,  by  which  he  usually  held  the  boat,  through  the  ring  of 
Chase's  spur,  and  in  the  same  act  seized  the  jaw  bone  of  the  fish 
with  the  hook  of  the  same  instrument.  Before  this  was  disco- 
vered the  kreng  was  set  at  liberty,  and  began  instantly  to  sink. 
The  mate  then  threw  himself  towards  the  boat,  but  being  firmly 
entangled  by  the  foot,  he  fell  into  the  water.  Providentially  he 
caught  the  gunwale  of  the  boat  with  both  hands ;  but  overpow- 
ered by  the  force  of  the  sinking  kreng,  he  was  on  the  point  of 
relinquishing  his  grasp,  when  some  of  his  companions  got  hold 
of  his  hands  while  others  threw  a  rope  round  his  body.  The 
carcass  of  the  fish  was  now  suspended  entirely  by  his  body,  which 
was  consequently  so  dreadfully  extended,  that  there  was  some 
dancer  of  his  bcin";  drawn  asunder.  But  such  was  his  terror  of 
being  taken  under  water,  that  notwithstanding  the  excruciating 
pain  he  sufi'ered,  he  constantly  cried  to  his  companions  to  "  haul 
away  the  rope."  He  remained  in  this  dreadful  state  until  means 
were  adapted  for  hooking  the  kreng  with  a  grapnel,  and  drawing 
it  back  to  the  surface  of  the  water. 

Chase  was  not  much  injured  by  the  immense  strain  which  he 
had  endured.  Ho  received  the  congratulations  of  his  companions 
t;pon  his  escape.  Pollard  expressed  the  opinion  that  he  was 
worth  a  dozen  men  yet. 

The  crew  now  set  about  "  making  ofi","  the  finishing  process 
of  the  fishery.  While  the  line-managers  and  a  few  others  were 
enaaced  in  clearing  out  the  hold,  the  rest  of  the  crew  on  deck 
arranged  all  the  variety  of  apparatus  used  for  the  preparation  of 
the  blubber  before  it  is  put  into  the  casks.     The  "krengers" 


70  WHALING  ADVKNTURES. 


cleared  it  of  the  muscular  and  sinewy  pints  :  the  ''skinners" 
removed  the  skin  ;  the  "  choppers"  cut  the  blu'ober  into  oblong 
pieces,  not  exceeding  four  inches  in  diameter,  and  the  men  in  the 
hold,  packed  it  in  casks,  which  were  arranged  in  tiers. 

In  the  meantime,  a  good  look  out  was  kept  from  the  "crow's 
nest"  in  the  maintop,  for  more  game.  So  far  the  Essex  had 
been  fortunate,  and  the  gloom  had  passed  from  her  captain's 
mind.  A  good  lot  of  blubber  was  in  the  hold,  and  much  profit 
was  promised.  But  a  few  daj-s  after,  misfortune  began  to  assert 
her  sway.  The  look-out  gave  the  signal  of  a  school  of  whalea 
being  in  sight.  In  pursuing  them,  the  mate's  boat  was  stove, 
and  he  was  forced  to  return  to  the  .'<hip  to  repair  damages.  The 
captain  and  second  mate  were  left  with  their  boats  pursuing  the 
whale. 

During  this  interval,  the  mate  discovered  a  large  spermaceti 
whale  near  the  ship,  but  not  suspecting  the  approach  of  any  danger, 
since,  as  a  general  thing,  these  monsters  of  the  deep  are  very 
timid,  it  gave  him  no  alarm  until  he  savf  the  whale  coming  with 
full  speed  towards  the  vessel.  In  a  moment,  the  crew  was  aston- 
ished by  a  tremendous  crash.  The  whale  had  struck  the  ship  a 
little  in  front  of  the  fore-chains.  It  was  seme  minutes  before 
tlie  men  recovered  from  (heir  panic  so  far  as  to  examine  whether 
any  dnmage  had  born  sustained.  Thry  then  tried  their  pumps 
an  1  found  tiuit  their  ship  was  sinking.  A  signal  was  immedi- 
ately set  for  the  boats.  The  whale  now  appeared  agii'n  making 
for  the  ship.  Coming  vvith  astonishing  swiftness,  and  with  the 
water  fouininji  anmnd  him,  he  struck  the  vessel  a  second  blow, 
which  netirly  stove  in  her  bows.  There  was  now  no  hope  of  sav- 
ing the  ship,  and  th'.;  only  course  to  be  pursucJ,  was  to  be  pre- 
pared to  leave  her  with  all  possible  haste.  T!ie  crew  collected  a 
few  thinjis,  hove  them  into  the  boat  and  shoved  off.  The  Esses 
immediately  fell  upon  one  side  and  sunk  to  the  water's  edge. 
When  the  other  two  boats  arrived,  such  was  thjir  consternation 
that  for  some  time,  not  a  word  was  spoken.  The  captain  was 
the  first  to  speak  the  words  of  hope,  and  promising  his  men 
safety  would  reward   their  dctermiiied   efforts,  be  succeeded   in 


WHALING  ADVENTURES.  71 


getting  them  to  work.  They  remained  by  the  wreck  two  or 
three  days,  in  which  time  they  cut  away  the  masts,  which  caused 
her  to  right  a  little.  Holes  were  then  cut  in  the  deck,  through 
which  the  crew  obtained  about  GOO  pounds  of  bread,  as  much 
water  as  they  could  take,  and  other  articles  which  were  likely  to 
be  of  use  to  them.     They  then  bade  the  sinking  Essex  farewell. 

The  jH-ospects  of  Captain  Pollard  and  his  men  were  as  appalling 
as  can  well  be  imagined.  The  nearest  land  was  about  1000 
miles  to  the  windward  of  them.  They  were  in  open  boats  which 
Vere  also  weak  and  leaky,  with  a  very  small  pittance  of  bread 
and  water  for  the  support  of  so  many  men  during  the  time  they 
must  be  at  sea.  Sails  had  been  prepared  for  the  boats  before 
leaving  the  ship,  which  proved  of  material  benefit.  Steering 
southerly  by  the  wind,  they  hoped  to  fall  in  with  some  ship,  but 
days  passed  and  no  ship  appeared.  After  being  in  the  boat  28 
days,  experiencing  much  suffering  from  gales,  want  of  water,  and 
scant  provisions,  they  reached  Duncie's  island,  latitude  24°  40' 
S.  longitude  124°  40'  W.,  where  they  were  doomed  to  be  disap- 
pointed, in  not  finding  enough  food  for  so  large  a  company.  The 
boats  were  hauled  on  shore  and  repaired.  Fortunately,  a  spring 
of  fresh  water  was  discovered  flowing  out  of  a  rock,  at  about 
half  ebb  of  the  tide,  from  which  the  crew  filled  their  kegs. 
Three  of  the  men  chose  to  stay  on  the  island,  and  take  their 
chance  for  some  vessel  to  take  them  off. 

Leaving  this  island.  Pollard  ordered  the  boats  to  be  steered 
for  Easter  Island  ;  but  they  passed  it  far  to  the  leeward.  They 
then  steered  for  Juan  Fernandez,  which  was  about  2500 
miles  east  by  southeast  of  them.  The  death  of  Joy,  the  second 
mate,  a  man  of  rather  weak  constitution,  was  a  severe  stroke, 
and  exciting  terrible  forebodings  in  the  minds  of  all.  His  body 
was  launched  into  the  deep.  Soon  after,  the  mate's  boat  parted 
from  the  other  two,  and  did  not  fall  in  with  them  afterwards. 

The  situation  of  the  mate  and  his  crew,  became  daily  more 
distressing.  The  weather  was  mostly  calm,  the  sun  scorching. 
They  were  growing  weaker  and  weaker  for  want  of  food,  and  yet 
such  was  their  distance  from  land,  that  they  were  obliged  to  lea- 


72  WHALING  ADVENTURES. 


sen  their  allowance  nearly  one-half.  On  the  20th  of  January,  a 
black  man  died.  Eight  days  after,  the  crew  found  that  their 
allowance,  only  one  and  a  half  ounces  of  bread  per  day  to  a 
man  would  be  exhausted  in  fourteen  days ;  and  that  this  allow- 
ance was  not  enough  to  sustain  life.  They  therefore  determined 
to  extend  the  indulgence  and  take  the  consequences,  whether 
life  or  death.  On  the  8th  of  February,  another  of  the  crew 
died.  From  this  time  to  the  17th,  their  sufferings  were 
extreme.     The  look  of  despair  had  settled  upon  every  face. 

On  the  morning  of  that  day,  tliey  were  aroused  from  their 
lethargy  by  the  cheering  cry  of  the  steersman,  "  there's  a 
sail  I"  The  boat  was  soon  descried  by  the  vessel,  the  brig  In- 
dian, Captain  Grosier,  of  London,  which  took  them  on  board. 
They  were  treated  by  the  humane  captain  with  all  the  care  and 
tenderness  that  their  weak  condition  required.  They  were  taken 
to  Valparaiso.  The  other  boats  made  what  progress  the  weak 
condition  of  the  men  would  permit,  towards  the  island  of  Juan 
Fernandez  ;  but  contrary  winds  and  calm  weather,  together  with 
the  extreme  debility  of  the  crew,  prevented  their  making  much 
headway.  On  the  29th  of  January,  the  second  mate's  boat 
parted  from  the  Captain's  in  the  night,  at  which  time,  their  pro- 
visions were  totally  exhausted.  The  crew  of  that  boat  were 
never  heard  from  afterwards.  Captain  Pollard  and  Charles 
Ramsdcll,  the  only  survivors  in  the  Captain's  boat,  were  taken 
up  on  the  23rd  of  February,  1821,  by  the  ship  Dauphin,  of  Nan- 
tucket, Captain  Zimri  Coffin.  They  were  both  nearly  exhausted, 
though  men  of  iron  frames.  The  three  men  left  on  Duncie's 
Island  were  taken  off  after  they  had  endured  extreme  misery. 
Captain  Pollard  reached  his  home  at  Nantucket  in  safety,  and 
had  the  great  happiness  of  once  more  meeting  his  wife  and 
daughter,  and  recounting  the  sufferings  of  his  men  and  himself, 
by  his  own  fireside.  That  unfortunate  voyage  was  his  last.  He 
had  saved  sufficient  to  secure  his  family  the  comforts  of  life,  and 
the  profits  which  he  derived  from  his  interest  in  other  whaling 
vessels  added  to  that  sum,  made  him  independent.  His  old 
mate,  Owen  Chase,  continued  to  follow  the  sea.     "When  told  of 


LOSS   OF   THE   ANN   ALEXANDER.  73 


its  dangers,  he  replied  philosophically,   "  Well,  there  's  danger 
everywhere,  and  there  's  a  heaven  above  us  all." 

1  here  are  only  two  cases  on  record  of  the  whale  attacking  a 
ship.  One  is  included  in  the  above  narrative,  and  the  other,  of 
more  recent  occurrence,  is  thus  narrated  in  a  late  number  of  the 
Panama  Herald  : — 

''  The  ship  Ann  Alexander,  Captain  S.  Deblois,  sailed  from 
New  Bedford,  Mass.,  June  1st,  1850,  for  a  cruise  in  the  South 
Pacific  for  ssperra  whale.  Having  taken  about  five  hundred  bar- 
rels of  oil  ia  the  Atlantic,  the  ship  proceeded  on  her  voyage  to 
the  Pacific.  Nothing  of  unusual  interest  occurred  until  when 
passing  Cape  Horn,  one  of  the  men,  named  Jackson  Walker,  of 
Newport,  N.  H.,  was  lost  overboard  in  a  storm.  Reaching  the 
Pacific,  she  came  up  the  coast  and  stopped  at  Valdivio,  Coast  of 
Chili,  for  fresh  provisions,  and  on  the  31st  of  March  last,  she 
called  at  Paita,  for  the  purpose  of  shipping  a  man.  The  vessel 
proceeded  on  her  voyage  to  the  South  Pacific. 

''  On  the  20th  of  August  last,  she  reached  what  is  well  known  to 
■ftll  whalers  as  the  Off-Shorc-G  round,  in  lat.  5°  50'  South,  Ion. 
102°  West.  In  the  morning  of  that  day,  at  about  9  o'clock, 
vhalcs  were  discovered  in  the  neighborhood  and  about  noon,  the 
lamc  day,  they  succeeded  in  making  fast  to  one.  Two  boats  had 
gone  after  the  whales — the  larboard  and  starboard,  the  former 
commanded  by  the  first  mate,  and  the  latter  by  Captain  Deblois. 
The  whale  which  tliey  had  struck,  was  harpooned  by  the  larboard 
boat.  After  running  some  time,  the  whale  turned  upon  the  boat 
and  rushing  at  it  with  tremendous  violence,  lifted  open  its  enor- 
mous jaws,  and  taking  the  boat  in,  actually  crushed  it  into  frag- 
ments as  small  as  a  common-sized  chair !  Captain  Deblois  im- 
mediately pulled  for  the  scene  of  the  disaster  with  the  starboard 
boat,  and  succeeded  against  all  espectations,  in  rescuing  the 
whole  of  the  crew  of  the  boat — nine  in  number. 

"  There  were  now  eighteen  men  in  the  starboard  boat,  consist- 
ing of  the  captain,  the  first  mate,  and  the  crews  of  both  boats. 
The  frightful  disaster  had  been  witnessed  from  the  ship,  and  the 
waist-boat  was  called  into  readiness,   and  sent  to   their   relief. 


74  WHALING  ADVENTURES. 


The  distance  from  the  ship  was  about  six  miles.  As  soon  as  the 
waist-boat  arrived,  the  crews  were  divided,  and  it  was  determined 
to  pursue  the  same  whale,  and  make  another  attack  upon  him 
Accordingly  they  separated  and  proceeded  at  some  distance  fi'om 
each  other,  as  is  usual  on  such  occasions,  after  the  whale.  In  a 
short  time  they  came  up  to  him  and  prepared  to  give  him  battle. 
The  waist-boat,  commanded  by  the  first  mate,  was  in  advance. 
As  soon  as  the  whale  perceived  the  demonstration  being  made 
upon  him,  he  turned  his  course  suddenly,  and  making  a  tremen- 
dous dash  at  this  boat,  seized  it  with  his  wide-spread  jaws,  and 
crushed  it  into  atoms,  allowing  the  men  barely  time  to  escape  his 
vengeance,  by  throwing  themselves  into  the  ocean. 

"  Captain  Deblois  again  seeing  the  perilous  condition  of  his 
men,  at  the  risk  of  meeting  the  same  fate,  directed  his  boat  to 
hasten  to  their  rescue,  and  in  a  short  time  succeeded  in  saving 
them  all  from  a  death  little  less  horrible  than  that  from  which 
they  had  twice  so  narrowly  escaped.  He  then  ordered  the  boat 
to  put  for  the  ship  as  speedily  as  possible ;  and  no  sooner  had 
the  order  been  given  than  they  discovered  the  monster  of  the 
deep  making  towards  them  with  his  jaws  widely  extended.  For- 
tunately the  monster  came  up  and  passed  them  at  a  short  distance. 
The  boat  then  made  her  way  to  the  ship  and  they  all  got  on  board 
in  safety. 

"After  reaching  the  ship  a  boat  was  despatched  for  the  oars  of 
the  demolished  boats,  and  it  was  determined  to  pursue  the  whale 
with  the  ship.  As  soon  as  the  boat  returned  with  the  oars,  sail 
was  set,  and  the  ship  proceeded  after  the  whale.  In  a  short 
time  she  overtook  him,  and  a  lance  was  thrown  into  his  head. 
The  ship  passed  on  by  him,  and  immediately  after  they  discover- 
ed that  the  whale  was  making  for  the  ship.  As  he  came  up 
near  her,  they  hauled  to  the  wind,  and  suffered  the  monster  to 
pass  her.  After  he  had  fairly  passed  thoy  kept  off  to  overtake 
and  attack  him  again.  When  the  ship  had  reached  within  about 
fifty  rods  of  him,  they  discovered  that  the  whale  had  settled 
down  deep  below  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  as  it  was  near 
Bundown,  they  concluded  to  give  up  the  pursuit. 


LOSS  OF  THE  ANN  ALEXANDER.   ■  75 


"  Captain  Deblois  was  at  this  time  standing  in  the  night-heads 
on  the  larboard  bow,  with  croft  in  hand,  ready  to  strike  the 
monster  a  deadly  blow  should  he  appear,  the  ship  moving  about 
five  knots;  when  working  on  the  side  of  the  ship,  he  discovered 
the  whale  rushing  towards  Ler  at  the  rate  of  fifteen  knots  !  fn 
an  instant,  the  monster  struch  the  ship  with  tremendous  violence, 
shahing  Iter  from  stem  to  stern!  She  quivered  under  the  violence 
of  the  shock,  as  if  she  had  struck  upon  a  rock  !  Captain  Deblois 
immediately  descended  into  the  forecastle,  and  there,  to  his  horror, 
discovered  that  the  monster  had  struck  the  ship  about  two  feet 
from  the  keel,  abreast  the  foremast,  knocking  a  great  hole  entirely 
through  her  bottom,  through  which  the  water  roared  and  rushed 
impetuously  !  Springing  to  the  deck,  he  ordered  the  mate  to 
cut  away  the  anchors  and  get  the  cables  overboard,  to  keep  the 
ship  from  sinking,  as  he  had  a  large  quantity  of  pig  iron  on 
board.  In  doing  this,  the  mate  succeeded  in  relieving  only  one 
anchor  and  cable  clear,  the  other  ha.viug  been  fastened  around 
the  foremast.  The  ship  was  tiien  sinking  rapidly.  The  Captain 
went  to  the  cabin,  where  he  fmnd  three  feet  of  water ;  he  how- 
ever, succeeded  in  procuring  a  chronoincter,  sextant  and  chart, 
teaching  the  deck?,  he  ordered  the  boats  to  be  cleared  away,  and 
to  get  water  and  provisions,  as  the  ship  was  keeling  over,  lie 
again  descended  to  the  cabin,  but  the  water  was  rushing  in  so 
rapidly  that  he  could  procure  nothing.  He  came  upon  deck, 
ordered  all  hands  into  the  boats,  and  was  the  last  himself  to 
leave  the  ship,  which  he  did,  by  throwing  himself  into  the  sea 
and  swimming  to  the  nearest  boat !  The  ship  was  on  her  beam- 
ends,  her  top-gallant  yards  under  water.  They  then  pushed  oil' 
some  distance  from  the  ship,  expecting  her  to  sink  in  a  very 
short  time.  Upon  an  examination  of  the  stores  they  had  been 
able  to  save,  he  discovered  that  they  had  only  twelve  quarts  of 
water,  and  not  a  mouthful  of  provisions  of  any  kind  !  The  boats 
contained  eleven  men  each,  were  leaky,  and  night  coming  on ; 
they  were  obliged  to  bail  them  all  night  to  keep  them  from 
sinking. 

"  Next  day;  at  daylight,  they  returned  to  the  ship,  no  one  dar- 


76  •        WHALING  ADVENTURES. 


ing  to  venture  on  board  but  the  captain,  their  intention  being  to 
cut  away  the  masts,  and.  fearful  that  the  moment  that  the  masts 
were  cut  away  the  ship  would  go  down.  With  a  single  hatchet, 
the  Captain  went  on  board,  cut  away  the  mast,  when  the  ship 
righted.  The  boats  then  came  up,  and  the  men,  by  the  sole  aid 
of  spades,  cut  away  the  chain  cable  from  around  the  foremast, 
which  got  the  ship  nearly  on  her  keel.  The  men  then  tied  ropes 
I'ound  their  bodies,  got  into  the  sea,  and  cut  a  hole  into  the  decks 
to  get  out  provisions.  They  could  procure  nothing  but  about 
five  gallons  of  vinegar  and  twenty  pounds  of  wet  bread.  The  ship 
threatened  to  sink,  and  they  deemed  it  imprudent  to  remain  by 
her  longer,  so  they  set  sail  in  their  boats  and  left  her. 

"  On  the  22nd  of  August,  at  about  five  o'clock,  P.  IVL,  they  had 
the  indescribable  joy  of  discerning  a  ship  in  the  distance.  They 
made  signal  and  were  .soon  an.swered,  and  in  a  short  time  they 
were  reached  by  the  good  ship  Nantiu-ket,  Mass.,  Captain  Gibbs, 
who  took  them  all  on  board,  clothed  ;ind  fed  them,  and  extended 
to  them  in  every  way  the  greatest  possible  hospitality. 

"On  the  succeeding  day  Captain  Gibbs  went  to  the  wreck  of 
the  ill-fated  Ann  Alexander,  for  the  purpose  of  trying  to  procure 
something  from  her,  but  as  the  sea  was  rough,  and  the  atteuipt 
considered  dangerous,  he  abandoned  the  project.  The  Nantucket 
then  sot  sail  for  ]*^jita,  where  she  arrived  on  the  15th  of 
September,  and  where  shv  hiuded  Captain  Deblois  and  his  men. 
Captain  Deblois  was  kindly  and  hospitably  received,  and  enter- 
tained at  Paita  by  Cisptain  Eathurst,  an  Engli.sh  gentleman  re- 
siding there,  and  subsequently  took  passage  on  board  the  schooner 
Providence,  Captain  Starbuck,  for  this  port,  arriving  here  on 
Sunday  last,  the  12th  instant. 

"  At  Paita,  Captain  Deblois  entered  his  protest  at  the  U.  S. 
Consulate,  wliich  was  authenticated  by  the  following  officers  and 
serinuu,  on  Loan]  at  the  time  of  the  disaster;  the  two  officers  and 
the  rest  of  the  crew  having  shipped  on  board  otlier  vessels  :  Jo- 
soph  K.  Green,  first  mate  ;  James  Smith,  third  do. ;  Jolm  Mor- 
gan, carpenter;  Jaiuoo  lliloy,  cooper;  James  McRoberts,  John 


WONDERFUL  EXPLOIT  OF  BENJAMIN  CLOUGn.       79 


Smith,  William   Smith,  Henry  Rcid,  and   Charles   F.   Booth, 


seamen." 


"  The  whaling  shi  p  Sharon  of  Fairhaven,  having  been  some  time 
cruising  for  whales  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Caroline  Islands,  put  in 
at  Ascension,  the  15th  of  October,  1842,  for  wood,  water  and 
recruits.  The  requisite  supplies  being  obtained,  preparations 
were  made  to  proceed  upon  the  voyage,  when  eleven  of  the  crew 
deserted,  and  being  secreted  and  protected  on  shore,  all  efforts  to 
I'otake  them  were  fruitless.  The  ship  sailed  again  on  the  27th 
October,  with  a  crew  of  seventeen  men,  all  told,  four  of  whom 
were  natives  of  King's  Mill  Groupe,  and  two  of  other  islands  in 
the  South  Sea.  The  intention  was  to  touch  at  Bay  of  Islands  or 
Port  Jackson,  to  make  up  the  complement  of  men. 

"  On  Sunday,  Nov.  6th,  lat.  2°  20'  N.,  Ion.  162°  E.,  whales 
were  i-aised,  and  both  boats  lowered  in  chase,  leaving  Captain 
.^Norris,  a  Portuguese  boy,  named  Manuel  Jose  des  Reis,  who 
acted  as  steward,  and  three  of  the  King's  Mill  Islanders,  on 
board.  The  boats  soon  succeeded  in  capturing  a  whale,  which 
the  ship  ran  down  to  and  took  alongside — they  continuing  in 
pursuit  of  others.  At  3  o'clock,  P.  M.,  the  mate's  boat  being 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  ship,  her  signal  was  discovered 
at  half  mast,  and  he  immediately  pulled  towards  her.  The  sin- 
gular and  unaccountable  management  of  the  ship  for  some  time 
previous  had  already  been  remarked  by  those  in  the  boat,  and 
excited  the  liveliest  apprehensions  as  they  approached  her. 
Coming  up  upon  her  quarter  within  speaking  distance,  the  boy 
who  was  aloft,  and  had  cut  the  main-top  gallant  halyards,  told 
Mr.  Smith,  the  mate,  that  the  Islanders  had  killed  Captain  Nor- 
ris,  and  were  in  possession  of  the  ship.  Just  then,  one  of  them, 
armed,  with  a  cutting  spade  and  entirely  naked,  leaped  upon  the 
taffrail,  "and,  brandishing  his  weapon  with  most  furious  and 
menacing  gestures,  dared  the  crew  to  come  on  board.  The  other 
two  were  also  naked,  and  stationed  one  at  each  side  of  the  ship, 
where  they  had  collected  all  the  whaling  craft,  billets  of  wood, 
hammers,  belaying-pins,  in  short,  every  thing  that  would  serve 
as  a  missile  or  offensive  weapon,  determined  to  repel  any  attempt 


80  'WHALING    ADVENTURES. 


to  board.  The  fourth  native  of  tho  ,s;;me  islands,  was  in  the 
boat,  and  one  of  the  mutineers  addressed  hiu!  in  his  own  lan- 
guage, telling  liini,  it  was  supposed,  what  they  had  done,  and 
inviting  him  to  join  them.  He  made  a  gesture  of  disapproval, 
upon  which  the  other  caught  up  the  cook's  ase  and  hurled  it  at 
him  with  such  precision  of  aim,  though  a  ship's  length  distant, 
that  it  cut  through  the  back  of  his  shirt  as  he  stooped  to  avoid 
the  blow.  A  sliower  of  missiles  followed,  thrown  with  such 
force,  that  the  bone  belajing-pins  were  broken  into  several 
pieces  on  striking  the  boat,  but  fortunately  no  one  was  seriously 
injured  by  them.  The  mate  then  ordered  Manuel  to  cut  the  main- 
topgallant  sheets  and  main  topsail  halyards,  and  to  go  forward 
on  the  stay  and  cut  the  halyards  of  the  head  sails  and  clear  them 
from  the  yards,  which  was  done.  The  task  of  retaking  the  ship 
was  evidently  one  of  exti'cuie  difficully  and  danger,  for  the  muti- 
neers had  the  adviinta^^es  of  position  and  a  plentiful  supply  of 
arms,  with  the  resolution  and  skill  to  use  them  effectively,  so 
that  the  second  mate  and  his  crew,  who  had  in  the  mean  time  come 
up,  were  called  to  consult  upon  the  best  course  to  pursue. 

"  It  was  proposed  that  both  boats  should  advance  and  board 
the  ship,  one  upon  each  siuo,  at  the  same  time;  but  Mr.  Bmith, 
upon  whom  by  the  melancholy  catastrophe  on  board,  the  re.'-pon- 
sibility  and  duties  of  master  had  devolved,  thought  that  a  proper 
regard  for  the  interest  of  the  owners,  as  well  as  for  the  safety  of 
the  men  under  .his  command,  required  him  to  avoid  all  personal 
risk,  for  which  reason  he  proposed  that  both  crews  should  take 
the  other  boat  and  proceed  to  the  ship,  leaving  him  alone  to 
await  the  issue-.  This  proposal  met  with  no  favor,  the  men  de- 
claring a  wish  rather  to  start  for  the  nearest  land,  five  or 
sis  days  sail  distant,  and  the  second  mate  relishing  it  so  little 
that  he  suffered  his  boat  to  drop  astern  out  of  talkino-  distance. 
Mr.  Clough,  the  third  mate,  who  acted  as  Mr.  Smith's  steersman 
since  the  ship  was  short  manned,  had  darted  his  lance  several 
times  at  the  naked  savage  on  the  rail,  but  for  want  of  sufficient 
warp  it  fell  short  three  or  four  feet  at  each  trial ;.  he  requested 
therefore  that  the  boat  might  be  pulled  within  reach,  as  the  fel- 


WONDERFUL  EXPLOIT  OF  BENJAMIN  CLOUGH.        81 


low  kept  his  position  without  flinching,  and  insolently  defied 
him ;  but  the  mate  thought  the  danger  too  great,  and  refused  to 
gratify  him.  He  then  offered  to  go  on  board  over  the  bows,  if  the 
boy  would  cut  the  fore-royalstay  and  let  the  end  fall  overboard, 
so  that  he  could  ascend  by  it  to  the  jib-boom  with  a  lance-warp 
in  his  teeth  :  but  Manuel  had  become  so  exhausted,  by  friglit 
and  fatigue,  that  he  was  unable  to  got  up  to  the  royal  mast-head 
to  execute  his  part  of  the  task. 

"  His  next  plan,  and  the  one  he  executed,  was,  that  both  boats 
should  pull  ahead  of  the  ship,  and  when  it  was  quite  dark,  taking 
every  precaution  to  avoid  exciting  the  suspicions  of  the  mutineers, 
he  would  jump  into  the  sea,  and  passing  close  by  the  side  of  the 
ship,  enter  her  by  the  cabin  windows.  The  ship  and  boats  were 
surrounded  by  sharks,  attracted  probably  by  the  carcass  of  the 
whale  killed  in  the  morning,  to  defend  liiniself  against  which,  he 
took  a  boat-knife  in  his  teeth,  and  let  himself  into  the  water  as 
silently  as  possible.  At  the  same  moment  the  ship  took  aback, 
and  it  became  necessary  to  swim — but  to  '  strike  out '  and  make 
the  best  of  his  way,  would  cause  a  sparkling  of  the  water,  and 
betray  his  approach  to.  the  look-out,  so  that  he  was  obliged  to 
*  walk  water,'  by  wliich  scarcely  any  agitation  was  made,  and  al- 
most as  little  progress.  It  was  a  tedious  passage  of  more  than 
an  hour  and  a  half  in  duration,  terminated  at  length  by  diving 
under  the  ship,  seizing  the  rudder  at  the  heel,  and  ascending  by 
the  after  part  of  it  to  the  starboard  cabin  window,  through  which 
he  made  his  entry.  Two  large  sharks  were  close  to  the  boat 
when  he  left  her,  and  kept  him  company  the  whole  time  without 
offering  to  molest  him,  and  the  knife,  which  luckily  had  been 
useless,  he  left  upon  the  transom  as  he  got  in  at  the  window. 

"  He  then  divested  himself  of  his  clothing,  that  the  enemy 
might  have  no  advantage  over  him  on  the  score  of  nakedness 
should  they  come  to  close  quarters,  and  applied  himself  to  listen- 
ing to  the  movements  upon  deck ;  as  these  indicated  that  there 
were  yet  no  suspicions  of  his  presence,  he  proceeded  to  search  for 
arms  and  ammunition.  Two  cutlasses  were  soon  found,  and 
amongst  all  the  muskets,  two  only  were  fit  for  service,  so  far  as 


« 


82  WHALING  ADVENTURES. 


he  could  judge  by  careful  handling — it  was  too  dark  to  see. 
Every  locker  and  drawer  in  the  cabin  was  ransacked  for  powder 
and  ball,  which  being  found,  the  muskets  were  loaded  and  placed 
with  the  cutlasses  at  the  foot  of  the  cabin  stairs.  While  engaged 
in  loading  a  fowling  piece,  he  heard  a  step  on  the  gangway,  and 
some  one  descended  the  stairs,  hitting  the  arms  at  the  bottom 
and  knocking  them  down  upon  the  floor.  Mr.  Clough  ran  to  the 
spot,  but  unable  to  see  anything,  groped  about  by  the  intruder's 
feet,  till  he  caught  hold  of  a  cutlass,  with  which  he  run  him 
through  the  body ;  as  he  drew  it  out,  a  struggle  ensued  for  the 
weapon,  and  both  fell  on  the  floor — the  ofiicer,  luckily,  upper- 
most ;  planting  his  knee  upon  his  breast,  he  took  out  one  of  his 
eyes,  and  with  a  good  deal  of  trouble,  brought  the  edge  of 
the  sword  to  bear  upon  the  back  of  his  neck,  and  made  an 
attempt  to  cut  oiF  his  head — he  pulled  it  back  and  forth  several 
times  ;  but  it  was  an  awkward  operation,  for  the  other  kept  hold 
of  the  sword  and  struggled  violently,  wounding  Mr.  C.  severe- 
ly, by  twisting  the  blade  several  times  in  his  hand. 

"  After  a  while  he  became  quiet,  and  supposing  him  to  be 
dead,  Mr.  C.  got  up ;  but  the  other  immediately  rose  and  struck 
about  furiously  with  the  cutlass,  hitting  him  at  almost  every 
pass,  until  exhausted  probably  by  loss  of  blood,  he  uttered  a 
slight  groan  and  fell  upon  the  floor.  Going  again  to  the  stairs 
the  officer  saw  another  in  the  gang-way  with  a  cutting  spado 
pointed  towards  him,  when  feeling  for  a  loaded  musket,  he  suc- 
ceeded, after  snapping  twice,  in  putting  a  ball  through  his  heart. 
At  the  same  moment  the  spade  dropped,  or  was  thrown  down, 
taking  effect  in  the  thick  part  of  Mr.  Clough's  arm,  and  the 
blood  gushed  so  violently  from  the  wound,  that  he  supposed  the 
artery  to  be  severed,  and  began  to  give  way  to  unpleasant  reflec- 
tions, when  the  third  came  to  the  gangway,  armed  also  with  a 
spade,  and  endeavored  to  look  into  the  darkness  below.  Mr.  C. 
made  several  inefiectual  attempts  to  gain  another  musket,  but 
his  right  hand  and  left  arm  were  both  disabled.  The  man  stood 
still  a  few  minutes,  then  dropped  his  spade  and  walked  forward. 
Mr.  Clough  now  hailed  the  boats,  which  were  so  near  that  h*- 


WONDEKFUL  EXPLOIT  OF  BENJAMIN  CLOUGH.        83 


could  hear  the  conversation  going  on  amongst  the  men.  He  told 
them  that  two  of  the  mutineers  were  dead,  himself  dangerously 
wounded,  and  urged  them  to  hasten  on  board.  They  said  they 
did  not  believe  that  more  than  one  had  been  killed,  as  they  had 
heard  but  one  gun,  and  did  not  consider  it  prudent  for  them  to 
come  near  him ;  so  the  wounded  man  had  to  sit  down  and  suffer 
his  blood  to  flow,  for  his  right  hand  had  become  so  stiff  and  sore 
that  he  could  not  use  it  to  place  a  bandage  on  his  arm.  More 
than  half  an  hour  having  elapsed  since  the  hail,  and  no  further, 
news  being  heard,  the  boats  ventured  alongside. 

A  lijrht  being  struck  and  broufjht  into  the  cabin,  the  floor  was 
found  covered  with  the  blood  of  both  combatants.  The  man 
who  had  first  entered  the  cabin  was  reclining  on  the  transom, 
still  grasping  the  cutlass,  and  with  it  the  boat  knife  left  by  Mr. 
C.  when  he  came  on  board;  one  of  his  eyes  hung  upon  his 
cheek,  and  hts  body  was  covered  with  gore ;  he  was  still  alive, 
but  did  not  move,  and  made  no  noise  but  a  kind  of  suppressed 
groan.  One  of  the  men  stabbed  him  twice  with  a  boat  spade, 
and  Mr.  Smith  discharged  a  musket  at  him ;  he  was  then  caught 
by  the  hair,  dragged  upon  deck,  and  thrown  into  the  sea.  The 
deck  presented  a  shocking  spectacle — all  dabbled  and  tracked 
with  clotted  blood ;  the  mangled  and  headless  body  of  the  unfor- 
tunate captain  was  lying  there,  as  was  that  of  one  of  his 
murderers,  which  was  unceremoniously  thrown  over  the  side, 
while  the  remains  of  Captain  Norris  were  collected  and  reserved 
for  burial  the  next  day.  The  surviving  mutineer  jumped  over- 
board and  swam  some  distance  from  the  ship,  but  returned 
during  the  night  and  hid  himself  in  the  forehold.  When  the 
crew  attempted  to  take  him  out,  the  next  day,  he  made  some 
show  of  resistance,  but  at  last  came  on  deck  and  surrendered 
himself.  He  was  put  in  irons,  and  taken  to  Sydney,  where  he 
was  left  in  prison  when  the  ship  sailed. 

"  The  Sharon  completed  her  voyage,  under  the  command  of 
Mr.  Smith,  more  successfully  than  could  have  been  expected 
after  such  a  melancholy  and  disheartening  interruption — Mr. 


84  A    SPxiNIRII    BULL-FIGHT. 


Clough  remaining  on  board  as  second  mate.  To  his  daring  and 
almost  unaided  exertions  are  to  be  attributed  the  return  of  a 
valuable  ship  and  cargo,  and  what  is  far  more  important,  the 
preservation  of  the  surviving  crew  from  the  miserable  fate  which 
must  have  overtaken  them,  had  they  persisted  in  seeking  the 
nearest  land  in  their  boats." 

A  SPANISH  BULL-FIGHT. 

The  most  remarkable  amusement  of  the  Spaniards  is  the  bull- 
fight.    The  following  description  will  give  an  idea  of  this  sport. 

The  bulls  were  confined  in  an  area  behind  the  amphitheatre. 
Before  they  were  admitted  into  the  theatre,  three  combatants  on 
horseback  placed  themselves  at  some  distance,  one  on  each  side 
of,  and  another  opposite  the  door,  at  which  the  bull  was  to  enter. 
A  trumpet  was  then  sounded,  as  a  signal  to  let  in  the  bull,  and 
the  man  who  opened  the  door  got  behind  it  immediately.  During 
a  quarter  of  an  hour  preceding  this  period,  the  bulls  had  been 
teazed  by  persons  placed  on  the  ceilings  of  the  stables,  pricking 
them  on  the  backs.  The  bull  made  directly  at  the  first  horseman, 
who  received  it  on  the  point  of  the  spear,  held  in  the  middle  tight 
to  his  side,  and  passing  under  his  arm-pit — This  weapon  making  a 
wide  gash  in  the  bull's  shoulder,  occasioned  it  to  draw  back.  A 
fresh  bull  now  entered,  staring  wildly  about,  and  frightened  by 
the  clapping  and  hallooing  of  the  assembled  multitude.  It  then 
ran  successively  against  the  other  two  combatants,  and  from  each 
received  a  deep  wound.  A  signal  was  now  given  with  the  trumpet 
for  the  horseman  to  retire,  when  the  men  on  foot  began  their  at- 
tack, who  struck  barbed  darts  in  every  part  of  the  animal's  body. 
The  trumpet  again  sounding,  the  matador  appeared,  carrying  in 
his  left  hand  a  cloak,  extended  on  a  short  stick,  and  in  his  right 
a  two-edged  sword.  At  the  moment  when  the  bull  made  furiously 
at  him,  he  plunged  his  sword  into  its  neck  behind  the  horns,  by 
which  it  instantly  fell  down  dead.  If  the  matador  miss  his  aim 
he  rarely  escapes  Avith  his  life.  The  dead  bull  was  immediately 
dragged  out  of  the  area  by  three  horses  on  a  full  g;dlop,  whoso 
traces  were  fastened  to  the  horns. 


ADVENTURE  ON  THE  CORCOVADO. 

TnE  Corcovado  mountain  is  .situated  near  Rio  Janeiro,  the 
chief  city  of  Brazil  and  of  South  America.  It  rises  from  a  range 
which  forms  the  wall  separating  the  city  from  the  interior.  Its 
summit  is  lofty,  its  sides  precipitous,  and  covered  with  a  dense 
forest  of  a  rich  dark  green.  The  following  account  of  the 
ascent  of  this  well-known  and  much  admired  mountain,  is  given 
by  a  recent  rambler  at  Rio. 

"  Well,  my  companion  and  1  ascended  the  path,  and  moved 
up  the  country  along  the  line  of  the  aqueduct.  We  had  not 
walked  half  an  hour  ere  we  found  ourselves  winding  through  a 
regular  South  American  forest.  I  never  in  my  life  saw  such 
vegetation  Were  you  to  take  a  cart-load  of  leaves,  and  empty 
them  in  a  heap,  I  do  not  think  they  could  hardly  lie  closer  than 
they  did  upon  the  branches  of  this  wood ;  and  all  green,  of  a 
color  most  lovely,  though  monotonous ;  for  here  the  tree  in  no 
season  is  unclad,  nor  does  the  summer  which  they  have  for  a 
winter  ever  sear  the  hue  of  any  foliage.  The  water  was  conduct- 
ed downwards  along  the  precipitous  sides  of  <:?ifferent  prongs  of 
the  parent  chain  of  highland,  and  often  ^ilong  the  very  narrow 
edge  of  such  steeps,  where  you  had  xlevfs  of  deep  well-like  valleys, 
their  nearly  perpendicular  sides  ^^  wood-clad,  and  green  as  a 
garden  arbor,  that  green  beipj^  variegated  by  the  snowy  walls  of 
plantation  houses,  and  th"  bright  red  cultivated  soil  at  the  bot- 
tom. The  clear  '  un-European '  laugh  of  the  negroes  rose,  refined 
by  height  and  dis^nce,  in  tinkling  reverberations  from  precipice 
to  precipice,  pmulatiug  the  shrillness  and  melody  of  the  cicala 
piping  on  every  twig.  It  was  an  awe-striking  sight,  standing  on 
the  edge  of  the  narrow  pathway,  to  part  the  clustering  bushes, 
and  look  down  the  wood-mantled  precipices ;  for  the  tree  trunks 

S  (86) 


86  ADVENTURE  ON  THE  CORCOVADO. 


seemed  to  shoot  clusteringly  from  out  the  all  but  perpendicular 
steeps,  and  rising  branchless  to  a  great  height,  till,  by  loftiness 
of  stem,  they  had  gained  a  small  distance  from  the  face  of  the 
rocks,  gave  out  a  dense  mass  of  foliage  impervious  to  light  as  so 
much  solid  stone.  The  trees  rising  to  a  height  of  fifty  or  sixty, 
often  of  at  least  seventy  feet,  ere  they  had  room  to  bear  a  leaf, 
their  foliage  looked  like  a  vast  green  mat  hung  up  in  the  sun 
upon  the  face  of  the  hills,  and  supported  in  that  position  by  in- 
numerable gigantfc  poles,  stuck  against  rather  than  into  rocks, 
as  a  dirty  kitchen  wench  would  fix  a  candle  against  the  wall. 
And  when  you  looked  down  among  these  naked  stems,  they  and 
the  dense  brushwood  at  their  roots  seemed  steeped  in  a  faint 
greenish  light,  or  rather  dimness,  that  far  away  down  towards 
the  valleys,  became  a  dark  verdant  mistiness,  through  which  ob- 
jects were  no  longer  clearly  distinguishable ;  while  everywhere 
above  and  below,  guanas,  lizards,  birds,  and  butterflies,  all  tinted 
alike  in  this  mystic  light,  flitted  and  flew  from  stem  to  stem  in  the 
silent,  cool,  and  fragrant  greenness.  And  when  we  rolled  stones, 
and  threw  them  down,  and  they  went  smashing  now  against  the 
rocks,  now  against  the  trunks, — anon  crashing  and  tearing  their 
way  through  the  thick  topmost  foliage  of  a  lofty  tree,  which  top- 
most foliage  was  not  ten  feet  distant  from  the  face  of  the  rock  that 
held  its  loot  some  sixty  feet  farther  down;  and  when  these  stones 
went  rolling  u\5(J  knocking,  their  sounds  growing  fainter  in  the 
leafy  green  mists  her  below,  till  only  a  louder  smash  could  reach 
the  ear,  we  experienced  a  feeling  as  closely  approaching  the  sub- 
lime as  I  can  well  conceive  •  and,  considering  that  a  slip  of  the 
foot  might  precipitate  ourselvt-s  after  the  stones,  were  glad  to 
draw  close  to  the  wall  of  the  aqut/luct.  But  all  overhead  was 
light,  and  beauty,  and  stirring  life,  l^lossoms  of  every  descrip- 
tion sprang  up  by  the  path ;  birds  of  all  shapes  and  plumage, 
fluttered  and  chirped  among  the  branches ;  aod  big  butterflies, 
of  every  gorgeous  hue,  and  villanous  looking  drc^gon-flics,  with 
their  scaly  blue  lustre  and  halo-like  flutter  of  misty  gauze  wings, 
continually  crossed  us,  leading  us  often  in  fruitless  chase.  Far 
above   us  might  be   seen  the   magnificent  man-of-war    bird,  the 


ADVENTURE  ON  THE  CORCOVADO.  87 


most  graceful  in  form  and  flight  of  .all  winged  creatures,  leisurely 
sailing  the  air  from  his  nest  in  the  untrodden  clefts  of  the  moun- 
tain to  seek  his  prey,  pirate-like,  upon  the  sea.  From  branches 
over  our  heads  hung  suspended,  by  invisible  thread,  the  tree 
spider,  in  his  little  silken  nest,  popping  his  head  out  and  in,  and 
heaving  in  or  paying  out  his  cable  as  he  desired  to  rise  or  fall. 
]?ees  and  all  winged  insects  hummed  through  the  air,  while  the 
earth  teemed  Avith  ants  and  every  creeping  insect ;  a  tiny  stir 
among  the  grass  or  leaves  indicating  the  rapid  dart  of  the  lizard, 
guana,  or  some  other  reptile.  And  over  all  glowed,  in  his  full 
majesty,  the  life-inspiring  sun  ;  not,  as  in  other  climes,  giving 
coy  and  temporary  glances  of  his  glory  from  between  the  veils  of 
clouds,  but  rolling  alone  in  the  blue  sky,  the  sole  object  in 
heaven. 

"  Up  we  went,  rounding  now  one  angle,  anon  another  pre- 
cipice, and  at  each  obtaining  new  views  of  the  rich  country  below, 
with  its  woods,  fields,  and  lagoons;  of  the  bay,  with  its  innume- 
rable islands  and  multitude  of  ships  dotting  its  surface;  of  the 
battery,  or  church-crowned  rocks  that  abound  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  town ;  and  of  llio  itself,  sleeping  obscure  beneath  its  cloud 
of  dusty  haze. 

"  At  length,  when  we  had  marched  about  five  miles,  and  were 
now  some  fifteen  hundred  feet  above  the  town,  we  came  to  the 
immediate  source  of  the  lower  aqueduct,  where  a  small  mountain 
stream  rushing  into  the  cistern  in  part  supplied  it ;  a  second 
portion  being  brought  round  in  a  little  artificial  gutter  from 
another  part  of  the  mountain.  This  second  source  we  followed  ; 
but  soon  left  it,  striking  up  a  path  alongside  a  wattle-built  cot- 
tage, where  resided  a  Brazilian  soldier,  a  sort  of  perpetual  sentry 
upon  tiie  good  repair  of  the  water-works  near  this  point.  Short- 
ly after  passing  the  cottage  the  path  became  exceedingly  wild ; 
on  one  side  of  it  generally  rose  a  precipice ;  on  the  other  an 
abyss  descended,  where  the  mighty  trees  grew  with  their  naked 
stems  shooting  far  aloft,  one  from  almost  every  square  yard  of 
surface,  frequently  shutting  out  from  us  all  view  of  sun  or  sky ; 
the  only  thing  we  could   see   besides  stems,  rocks,  and  foliage, 


88  ADVENTURE  ON  THE  CORCOVADO. 


being  the  wincling  path  stretching  a  little  in  advance  or  behind, 
as  it  were  nnder  an  arcade  of  verdure,  while  a  subdued,  cool, 
greenish  light  showed  us  the  damp  trodden  soil  of  the  pathway, 
and  the  brushwood  so  luxuriantly  dense  as  almost  to  appear  of 
massive  solidity.  Here  we  saw  the  coffee-bush  growing  wild, 
with  its  cherry-red  berries — there  the  cocoa-nut  tree,  bare,  how- 
ever, of  fruit,  for  the  season  was  their  winter.  Guavas,  mangos, 
plantains,  and  bananas,  and  all  tropical  plants,  were  here ;  for 
their  seeds  wafted  by  the  winds  from  the  rich  plains  below,  had 
caught  root  and  sprung  into  forest  existence  as  trees  or  bushes. 

"  In  this  wild  path  we  walked  on  about  two  miles  more,  till 
we  reached  another  portion — the  highest  of  these  waterworks. 
A  small  rivulet  of  crystal  water  was  brought  round  in  hollow  tiles 
from  far  behind  the  shoulder  of  the  mountain.  After  following 
this^a  little,  we  came  upon  what  you  could  hardly  call  a  hamlet; 
it  consisted  of  one  house  and  two  or  three  huts,  while  an  open 
shed,  with  a  bench  under  it  for  working,  stood  in  the  midst. 
The  house  was  inhabited  by  a  Brazilian  and  his  family,  the  huts 
by  negroes.  Thereafter  there  was  about  half  a  mile  of  ascent — 
tremendous  climbing  ! — they  were  no  ordinary  lungs  that  could 
serve  a  man  up  those  dizzy  steeps.  Nevertheless  we  bent  our 
breasts  forward  to  the  task,  and,  panting  and  exhausted,  even 
after  very  frequent  stoppages,  at  last  found  ourselves  close  to  the 
summit,  which  is  two  thousand  three  hundred  and  sixty  feet 
above  the  town's  level.  This  summit  is  double;  consisting  of 
two  points  of  rock,  with  a  gash  about  forty  feet  deep  between 
them.  A  small  bridge  of  iron,  placed  by  one  of  the  emperors, 
formerly  connected  them,  and  au  iron  chain-rail  surrounded  each 
to  prevent  people  from  tumbling  off  and  going  sheer  down  the 
precipices.  There  were  also  a  flag-staff  for  signalizing,  and  a 
siiKill  iron  house  or  box  for  shelter.  All  is  now  gone,  save  the 
slender  iron  posts  that  supported  the  chain,  and  a  few  steps  cut 
in  the  rock  that  formerly  led  to  the  bridge.  Each  of  the  sum- 
mits is  a  separate  rock  ;  not  flat,  but  rounded  on  the  upper  sur- 
face, so  that  a  puff  of  wind  would  blow  you  off;  indeed  you  have 
hardly  room  to  stand  secure,  for  neither  of  the  rocks  is  more 


ADVENTURE  ON  THE  CORCOVADO.  89 


than  twenty  feet  across,  and  hardly  a  sijuare  yard  is  level  enough 
to  stand  upon  securely,  it  being  gradually  rounded  off  into  tho 
stupendous  bare  precipices  that  form  three  sides  of  the  Corcovado 
or  Humpback  mountain." 

Many  stories  are  told  of  adventures  met  with  on  the  Corcovado. 
Persons,  making  a  single  misstep,  have  been  precipitated  hun- 
dreds of  feet  to  certain  destruction.  Each  lovely  or  extraordi- 
nary formation  is  covered  with  romance.  For  the  Brazilians 
have  the  active  imagination  of  the  Spaniards  and  Portuguese, 
and  where  startling  incidents  do  not  occur,  they  take  care  to  fill 
the  vacuum  by  invention.  But  the  appended  narrative  of  a 
young  European  merchant,  who  settled  in  Rio,  contains  a  thrill- 
ing adventure,  the  truth  of  which  can  scarcely  be  doubted. 

"  When  I  first  came  out  to  Brazil,  I  got  a  situation  as  clerk 
in  the  counting  house  of  Diaz,  Brown,  and  Company,  the  exten- 
sive merchants  at  Bio  Janeiro.  The  only  other  white  clerk  in 
their  place  of  business  was  one  Lopez  de  Pereira,  a  Portuguese 
by  descent  and  birth,  but  educated  in  England.  Of  course  we 
became  companions  ;  and  although  he  was  eccentric  to  absurdity, 
I  found  him  a  very  agreeable  fellow  on  the  whole ;  his  whims 
being  often  irresistibly  ridiculous,  while  he  was  not  at  all  annoy- 
ed at  laughter,  but  would  laugh  himself  with  his  whole  heart, 
while  he  still  persisted  in  the  proceedings  that  caused  it.  These 
were  often,  while  very  odd,  both  hurtful  to  himself  and  painful 
to  his  friends  ;  as  for  instance  : — 

"  The  inhabitants  of  Madeira  have  a  singular  head-dress ;  it 
consists  of  a  little  blue  scull-cap,  lined  with  red,  not  sufficient  to 
cover  the  head  of  an  infant,  and  having  a  small  stiff  pig-tail, 
about  four  inches  in  length,  projecting  into  the  air  from  the  mid- 
dle of  it.  This  curious  affair  they  perch  on  a  bushy  head  of  hair, 
and  certainly  acquire  thereby  an  aspect  sufficiently  remarkable 
to  a  stranger.  Now  this  cap  Pereira  had  seen  at  that  island,  on 
his  voyage  out  from  England,  and  once  he  took  it  into  his  head 
to  wear  one,  made  under  his  direction,  of  a  similar  construction, 
at  Rio ;  nor  did  he  leave  off  his  noticeable  head-piece  till  an  at- 
tack of  brain  fever  made  him  adopt  a  more  shady  covering.     He 

8* 


90  ADVENTURE  ON  THE  CORCOVADO. 


was  of  course  a  Roman  Catholic,  and  devoutly  believed  in  the 
agency  of  the  devil,  upon  whom,  when  his  v/hims  had  left  him, 
he  invariably  laid  the  blame. 

"  One  day,  when  we  had  been  about  a  year  together,  the  day 
being  a  holiday,  we  resolved  upon  an  expedition  to  the  top  of  the 
Corcovado.  Accordingly,  hiring  horses,  we  rode  up  till  horses 
could  go  no  farther.  As  we  rode  I  began  to  laugh  and  question 
him  with  regard  to  his  singular  weakness.  My  thoughts  were 
directed  to  this  subject  by  seeing  him  turn  round  on  the  horse's 
back  and  ride  with  his  face  to  the  tail;  and  this  though  the  ani- 
mal was  very  spirited,  and  the  path  was  so  narrow  that  one  horse 
only  had  room  to  go  upon  it;  with  the  stone  wall  of  the  aqueduct 
on  one  side,  and  a  succession  of  wooded  precipices  on  the  other. 
On  my  inquiring  the  cause  of  this  remarkable  manoeuvre,  he  re- 
plied, laughing  loudly  himself,  that  he  thought  it  Avas  a  good 
idea,  as  he  could  talk  to  me  better  face  to  face,  for  I  was  riding 
in  the  rear.  But  I  remarked  that  we  could  converse  quite 
well  without  seeing  each  other,  and  reminded  him  of  the  misers, 
who  talked  in  the  dark  to  save  candles.  Upon  this,  he  stated 
that  as  all  the  view  lay  behind  us  and  nothing  in  front  but  woods, 
this  was  the  most  rational  way  of  riding  for  an  admirer  of  the 
picturesque.  I  bantered  him  out  of  this  argument  also,  when  he 
plainly  confessed  that  he  rode  in  that  way  from  an  internal  im- 
pulse, no  more  to  be  resisted  or  controlled  by  him  than  the  de- 
crees of  fate — that  there  was  a  devil  within  him  who  prompted 
him  to  make  himself  ridiculous,  and  that  he  could  no  more  gain- 
say this  mastering  spirit  than  fly  in  the  air.  For  the  rest  of  the 
ride  he  continued  to  practise  this  uncavalier-like  style  of  horse- 
manship, to  the  vast  entertainment  of  sundry  blackies  we  encoun- 
tered, working  at  small  repairs  on  the  aqueduct,  or  bringing 
down  loads  of  sticks  from  the  woods.  Nevertheless  he  continued 
to  talk  with  infinite  good  humor  of  his  own  curious  turn  of  mind. 
He  told  me  that  this  devil  of  his  ceased  its  malicious  promptings 
at  all  times  when  heavy  business  occupied  him — that  cold  bath- 
ing went  far  against  it;  and  that  once,  when   for  a  considerable 


ADVENTURE  ON  THE  CORCOVADO.  91 


time  under  anti-inflammatcry  treatment  for  some  complaint,  it 
entirely  disappeared. 

"  At  length  we  arrived  at  the  last  collection  of  houses  on  the 
ascent,  and  here  we  left  our  horses,  mounting  the  last  steeps  on 
foot. 

"  As  soon  as  we  stood  upon  the  rocky  ball,  and  looked  around 
us,  overwhelmed  by  the  grandeur  and  danger  of  the  scene,  I  was 
full  of  exclamations.  From  the  brim  of  the  rock  we  stood  on, 
the  sight  leaped  down  direct  to  fields  and  lagoons,  two  or  three 
thousand  feet  beneath  us;  and  the  precipices,  from  what 
I  could  see  of  them,  made  my  blood  cold.  The  vastness  of 
the  horizon,  with  the  distance  and  diversity  of  the  parts  filling  it 
up — the  silence,  the  solitude,  the  apparent  eternal  nature  of  the 
mighty  rocks — even  of  the  forest — all  these  ideas,  combined  with 
the  precarious  nature  of  our  position  on  this  airy  and  often  cloud- 
covered  pinnacle,  and  the  certain  dreadful  fate  that  awaited  one 
who  should  topple  from  such  a  stupendous  height  (for  on  three 
sides  were  precipices  of  from  one  to  two  thousand  feet,)  raised 
my  mind  to  a  very  high  state  of  excitement.  But  when  I  looked 
at  Pereira,  expecting  to  see  in  him  an  e<:{ual  enjoyment,  I  ob- 
served his  dark  Portuguese  features  pale  with  that  tawny  color 
which  constitutes  the  pallor  of  southern  Europeans.  His  blood- 
less lips  quivered,  and  there  was  a  sort  of  convulsive  starting  of 
difi'erent  muscles  of  his  body. 

<'  'What,'  said  I,  '  you  surely  are  not  afraid  of  falling? — come 
near  to  the  centre,  and  your  head  will  not  swim  so  much.' 

<'  '  Afraid  !'   he   replied,  vaguely  and   incoherently.     '  No  ! — 

Yes — afraid  for  you ; — save  yourself,  D !  for  God's  sake, 

save  yourself !' 

"  *  Why,  man,  there  is  nO  fear — get  you  down  first,  you  are 
nearest  the  path.' 

" '  No !    we    shall   never    go    down    that   path — tlie   demon^ 

D ,  ilie  demon  in  my  heart  prompts  mc  to  throw  you  from 

this  pinnacle  sheer  to  destruction,  and  he  will  not  but  be  obeyed  ! 
O  Mother  of  Deity  !  Queen  of  Heaven  !  look  on  me  in  mercy  V 

^'  As  he  spoke,  my  heart  smote  my  side  violently;  and  I  felt 


92  ADVENTUEE  ON  THE  CORCOVADO. 


for  a  moment  sick  to  death,  for  the  recollection  of  his  character 
and  strange  eccentricities  arose  before  my  mind. 

" '  Gracious  Heaven !'  said  I,  <  you  cannot  mean  what  you 
say  ?'  As  I  stood  horror-stricken,  he  clasped  his  hands,  and 
wringing  them  slowly,  but  with  his  whole  strength,  raised  them 
above  his  head,  looking  upward  at  the  same  time  with  eyes 
sparkling  from  unnatural  fire,  and  grinding  his  teeth,  as  if  with 
anguish,  a  moment — and,  with  a  wild  howl  of  despafir  that  rung 
like  the  cry  of  a  vulture,  he  sprang  upon  me  ! 

A  mercy  it  was  that  he  gave  me  that  warning  !  I  was  pre- 
pared so  far,  that  his  onset  drove. me  back  but  one  step :  another 
step  would  have  been  death  to  me !  He  grasped  me  with  his 
whole  strength,  and  with  the  convulsive  gripe  of  mortal  fear  I 
closed  upon  him;  and  thus,  in  dread  embrace,  we  stood  straining 
with  the  whole  power  of  every  sinew.  It  could  not  be  called 
struggling,  it  was  the  slow  and  steady  application  of  every  force 
and  every  art  of  two  athletic  young  men  striving,  the  one  in  the 
frenzy  of  madness,  the  other  in  the  dread  of  immediate  dissolu- 
tion. Now  he  would  bend  me  a  little,  now  I  him  !  Oh  what  an 
agony  that  minute  was  to  me  ! 

At  length,  in  about  two  minutes,  I  knew  that  his  strength 
was  giving  way  :  we  were  equally  matched  in  strength,  but  I  had 
the  full  chest,  and  long  wind,  produced  by  hard  exercise  through 
all  my  youth  in  a  far  northern  climate ;  he  was  narrow-chested, 
and  soon  began  to  pant.  Perceiving  this,  I  compressed  his  ribs 
with  my  whole  strength,  and,  bending  in  his  back,  gradually 
brought  him  down  on  the  rock.  But  the  moment  he  was  down  he 
commenced  struggling  violently,  and  rolled  us  both  over  towards 
the  awful  brink.  I  thought  I  was  gone,  and  clutched  the  rough 
rock  with  my  fingers  till  the  nails  were  torn  from  them.  Provi- 
dentially my  hand  came  against  one  of  the  rusted  iron  supports 
that  had,  of  old,  upheld  the  chain,  and  I  grasped  it  with  that 
clutch  commonly  called  the  death-gripe.  Holding  on  by  this, 
and  getting  my  legs  about  it  so  as  to  have  a  good  purchase, 
while  he  still  struggled  carelessly  with  hand  and  teeth  to  dis- 
lodge me,  I  caught  hold  of  the  hair  of  his  temples  and  dashed 


ADVENTURE  OX  TUE  CORCOVADO. 


93 


his  head  violently  against  the  rock.  The  blow  affected  his  brain; 
the  eyes  which  had  just  been  glaring  upon  me  in  maniacal  fury 
now  rolled  obliquely  in  their  sockets,  and  its  motions  were  no 
longer  directed  against  me.  With  both  hands  I  repeated  the 
blow,  and  he  remained  motionless;  still  I  was  not  sure  of  him, 
for  I  had  read  and  heard  that  the  insane  are  very  cunning,  and 
adopt  many  schemes  to  accomplish  their  ends;  so,  putting  one 
hand  to  his  heart,  and  being  able  to  perceive  only  a  very  faint 
and  scarcely  discernible  beating,  I  got  up  and  drew  him  to  the 
middle  of  the  rock.  Then,  rostiug  for  a  moment  to  breathe  and 
to  thank  Heaven  that  I  had  been  saved  alive  from  this  fearful 
encounter,  I  began  to  descend  the  rock,  dragging  him  after  me 
till  I  got  on  a  secure  path,  when  I  shouldered  him  and  carried 
him  to  where  we  had  left  our  horses.  Here  I  got  some  blacks 
to  carry  him  down  to  the  city  of  Rio  Janeiro,  and  conveyed  him 
to  the  house  of  our  mutual  employer,  Mr.  Brown. 

"  As  we  were  quite  by  ourselves,  I  might  have  accounted  for 
his  injuries  by  a  supposed  fall  among  the  rocks,  but  I  preferred 
telling  the  truth  as  it  is  written  here.  An  inquiry  was  made  ac- 
cording to  the  law  of  Brazil,  and  I. was  declared  free  of  all  blame; 
whilst  Pereira,  who  was  then  recovering  his  bodily  health,  was 
condemned  to  restraint  in  a  madhouse  for  life. 

"  I  never  afterwards  could  look  up  to  the  pinnacles  of  Corco- 
vado  without  feelings  of  horror  being  called  up  in  my  mind;  and 
so  painful  was  this  to  me,  that  I  was  ultimately  led  to  transport 
myself  and  my  fortunes  to  Monte  Video.'' 


THE  PERUVIAN  INDIANS. 


The  traveller  in  the  land  of  the  Incas,  upon  his  first  entrance 
into  the  country,  is  not  very  favourably  impressed  with  its  features. 
But  as  he  progresses  towards  the  interior,  scenes  and  persons 
present  themselves  which  win  his  attention.  When  he  has  passed 
over  the  elevated  plains  of  Bombon,  and  gains  a  glimpse  of  Cerro 
de  Pasco,  he  feels  that  he  is  again  approaching  the  home  of  civi- 
lization. 

It  is  but  a  sordid  civilization,  however;  the  love  of  silver 
has  collected,  in  a  dreary  clime  bordering  on  the  eternal  snow, 
the  men  of  various  nations — Spaniards,  Germans,  Englishmen, 
Swedes,  Americans,  and  Italians.  The  first  glimpse  of  a  conside- 
rable town  in  such  a  region  is  a  pleasure  and  surprise ;  but  little 
is  found  on  a  nearer  approach,  to  please  the  eye.  The  beauty  of 
the  place  is  subterraneous — in  its  rich  silver  mines.  Many  a  tale 
of  wild  speculation  belongs  to  this  remarkable  town.  Gambling 
is  the  favourite  amusement.  The  Indians  employed  in  the  mines 
of  Cerro  de  Pasco  are  among  the  most  degraded  inhabitants  of 
Peru.  Some  stories  are  related  of  the  faculty  of  sccretiveness, 
as  developed  among  these  natives,  who  have  been  made  the  slaves 
of  European  rapacity.  We  cannot  decide  on  the  probability  of 
these  tales ;  but  instances  as  striking  are  recorded  of  the  Indians 
of  Mexico : — 
(94) 


THE  PERUVIAN  INDIANS.  95 


"The  Indians  have  discovered  that  their  silver  mines  have 
made  their  condition  rather  worse  than  better.  They  determine, 
therefore,  to  keep  secret  their  knowledge  of  some  rich  veins  of 
silver  not  yet  explored  by  Europeans.  Traditions  of  these  mines 
have  been  handed  down,  it  is  supposed,  from  father  to  son, 
through  centuries.  Even  brandy,  which  will  open  the  Indian's 
mouth  on  any  other  subject,  fails  in  this  case.  A  few  years  ago, 
there  lived,  in  the  large  village  of  Huancayo,  the  brothers  Don 
Jose  and  Don  Pedro  Irriarte — who  were  among  the  wealthiest 
mine-proprietors  of  Peru.  As  they  had  reason  to  suspect  the 
existence  of  rich  unexplored  veins  among  the  neighbouring  hills, 
they  sent  out  a  young  man  in  their  employ  to  examine  the  coun- 
try, and  use  the  likeliest  means  of  discovery.  Accordingly,  he 
repaired  to  a  village,  where  he  found  lodgings  in  the  hut  of  an 
Indian  shepherd — from  whom  he  concealed  his  object.  In  the 
course  of  a  few  months,  an  attachment  had  grown  up  between 
the  young  adventurer  and  the  shepherd's  daughter;  and,  at  last, 
the  young  man  succeeded  so  far  in  his  object  as  to  win  from  the 
girl  a  promise  that  she  would  point  out  to  him  the  mouth  of  a 
rich  silver-mine.  She  directed  him  to  follow  her  at  some  dis- 
tance, on  a  certain  day  when  she  should  go  out  to  tend  her  flock 
on  the  hills;  and  to  notice  where  she  dropped  her  '  manta,'  (a 
woollen  shawl.)  There,  she  told  him,  he  would  find  the  entrance 
of  the  mine.  The  young  agent  obeyed  her  directions ;  and, 
after  some  digging,  found  his  way  into  a  moderately  deep  shaft, 
which  led  to  a  rich  vein  of  silver.  He  was  busily  engaged  in 
breaking  off  some  specimens  of  the  ore,  when  he  was  surprized 
by  the  old  shepherd,  who  congratulated  him  on  the  discovery, 
and  offered  assistance.  After  working  together  for  sOme  hours, 
they  rested ;  and  the  Indian  offered  to  the  young  man  a  cup  of 
chicha,  which  he  drank.  Soon  after  drinking,  he  felt  unwell; 
and,  as  a  suspicion  of  being  poisoned  flashed  upon  his  mind,  he 
instantly  packed  the  specimens  of  ore  in  his  wallet,  hastened  back 
to  the  village,  and  thence  rode  to  Huancayo.  He  had  only  time 
to  explain  his  adventure  to  his  employers,  and  point  out  as  well 
as  he  could,  the  locality  of  the  mine;  for  he  died  in  the  nidit. 


96  TUE  PERUVIAN  INDIAXS. 


Another  exploring  party  was  immediately  sent  in  the  neighbour 
hood,  but  without  success  :  the  Indian  and  his  family  had  van 
ished  from  the  place,  and  no  trace  of  the   mine  could   be  dis- 
covered." 

Another  story  is  the  following  : — 

"  A  certain  Franciscan  monk,  a  passionate  gambler,  lived  at 
Huancayo.  By  his  friendly  offices,  he  had  become  a  favourite 
among  the  Indians,  to  whom  he  often  appplied  when  in  want  of 
money.  One  day,  when  he  had  suiFered  losses  at  the  hazard- 
table,  he  begged  of  an  Indian,  who  was  his  relative,  to  help  him 
out  of  his  poverty.  The  Indian  promised  assistance  on  the  fol- 
lowing evening;  and  arrived  punctuallj^  at  the  appointed  time, 
with  a  bag  full  of  silver-ore  for  the  monk.  This  process  was 
repeated  several  times;  until  the  still  needy  monk  earnestly 
prayed  that  he  might  be  favoured  with  a  view  of  the  source  from 
which  his  wants  had  been  so  often  supplied.  This  request  also 
was  granted  by  the  friendly  relative ;  and,  accordingly,  on  the 
appointed  night  three  Indians  came  to  the  house  of  the  Francis- 
can— desired  that  he  would  allow  them  to  bandage  his  eyes — and, 
he  assenting,  carried  him  away,  on  their  shoulders,  some  miles 
among  the  mountains.  There,  they  lifted  him  down — conducted 
him  down  a  shaft  of  little  depth — and  displayed  to  him  a  rich 
and  shining  vein  of  silver.  "When  he  had  amply  feasted  his 
sight,  and  had  taken  ore  enough  for  his  present  necessities,  his 
eyes  were  again  bandaged  and  he  was  carried  home  on  the  shoul- 
ders of  his  guides.  On  the  road,  he  slily  untied  his  rosary;  and 
dropped  a  bead  here  and  there,  that  he  might  have  a  clue  to  the 
mine.  Arrived  at  home,  he  lay  down  to  rest,  in  the  comfortable 
hope  of  exploring  the  path  to  wealth  on  the  following  day ;  but, 
in  the  course  of  about  two  hours,  the  Indian,  his  relative,  came 
to  the  door,  with  his  hands  full  of  beads — '  Fathei-,'  said  he,  as 
he  gave  them  to  the  monk,  '  you  lost  your  rosary  on  the  road.'  " 


^ 


^^ 


A   HUANACA    OR   GUANACO. 


ADVENTURE  ON  THE  PUNA  OF  PERU. 


The  adventures  of  travellers  among  the  mountains  and  moun- 
taineers of  Peru  are  frequently  of  a  wild  and  startling  character. 
The  country  and  the  natives  are  equally  remarkable  for  their 
savage  peculiarities.  The  following  adventure  narrated  by  a 
recent  traveller,  -will  illustrate  what  many  have  experienced  : — 

"  1  had  now  reached  the  high  plain,  14,000  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea.  On  each  side  rose  the  peaks  of  the  Cordil- 
leras clothed  in  etorual  ice — gigantic  pyramids  towering  into  the 
heavens.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  nature  on  these  snowy  plains  of 
the  Cordilleras,  breathed  out  her  last  breath.  Here  life  and 
death  met  together;  and  I  seemed  to  be  arrived  at  the  boundary- 
line  between  being  and  annihilation.  On  which  side  would  my 
lot  fall  ?     I  could  not  guess.     How  little  life  had  the  sun  awak- 

9  (97) 


98  ADVENTURE   ON   THE   PUNA   OF    PERU. 


ened  around  me ;  where  the  dull-green  puna-grass,  hardly  the 
height  of  a  finger,  mingled  its  hue  with  the  mountain  glaciers  ! 
Yet  here  I  saluted  with  pleasure,  as  old  friends,  the  purple-blue 
(jentiana  and  the  brown  calceolaria.  *  *  As  I  rode  further, 
life  awakened  in  richer  variety  around  me  :  animals  and  birds 
appeared — few  in  species  but  rich  in  individuals.  Herds  of  vicu- 
nas approached  me — then  fled  away  with  the  speed  of  the  wind. 
I  saw  in  the  distance,  quiet  troops  of  huftnacas  gazing  suspiciously 
at  me,  and  passing  along.  *  *  j  jj^d  ridden  on  for  several 
hours,  observing  the  varieties  of  life  in  this  elevated  plain,  wheu 
T  came  upon  a  dead  mule  Avhich  had  been  left  here  by  its  driver 
to  die  of  hunger  and  cold.  As  I  approached  the  carcass,  three 
condors  rose  from  their  repast ;  and  hovered,  for  a  while,  in  nar- 
rowing circles  round  my  head,  as  if  threatening  punishment  for 
the  interruption.  It  was  now  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and 
I  had  ridden  on  a  gradual  ascent  since  the  break  of  day.  My 
panting  mule  slackened  his  pace,  and  seemed  unwilling  to  toil  up 
an  elevation  which  lay  in  my  route.  I  dismounted  :  and  to  re- 
lieve the  beast  and  exercise  my  limbs,  began  walking  at  a  rapid 
pace.  But,  in  a  short  time  the  rarity  of  the  air  began  to  be  felt; 
and  I  experienced  an  oppressive  sensation  which  I  had  never  known 
before.  I  stood  still  that  I  might  breathe  more  freely;  but  there 
was  no  support  in  the  thin  air.  I  tried  to  walk ;  but  an  inde- 
scribable distress  compelled  me  to  halt  again.  My  heart  throbbed 
audibly  against  my  side;  my  breathing  was  short  and  interrupted ; 
a  world's  load  seemed  laid  upon  my  chest ;  my  lips  were  blue 
and  parched,  and  the  small  vessels  of  my  eyelids  were  bursting. 
Then,  my  senses  were  leaving  me  ;  I  could  neither  see,  hear,  nor 
feel  distinctly;  a  grey  mist  was  floating  before  my  eyes — tinged, 
at  times  with  red,  when  the  blood  gathered  on  my  eyelids.  In 
short,  I  felt  myself  involved  in  that  strife  between  life  and  death, 
which  I  had  before  imamned  in  surrounding  nature.  Mv  head 
became  giddy,  and  I  was  compelled  to  lie  down.  If  all  the  riches 
of  the  world  or  the  glories  of  heaven  had  been  but  a  hundred 
feet  higher,  I  could  not  have  stretched  out  my  hand  towards 
them.     I  lay  in    tliis   half-senseless  conditimi   tor   some    tinie — 


ADVENTURE   ON    THE   PUNA   OF   PERU.  99 


until  rest  had  so  far  restored  me  that  I  could  mount  my  mule. 
One  of  the  Puna  storms  now  suddenly  gathered,  and  the  snow 
began  to  fall  heavily.  The  sujl  looked  out  at  intervals — but  only 
for  a  moment.  My  mule  could  scarcely  wade  through  the  in- 
creasing snow.  Night  was  coming  on ;  I  had  lost  all  feeling  in 
my  feet,  and  could  hardly  hold  the  reins  in  my  benumbed  fin- 
gers. I  was  about  to  yield  myself  up  for  lost,  when  I  observed 
an  overhanging  rock  sheltering  a  cave.  I  hastened  to  explore 
the  spot — and  found  there  a  shelter  from  the  wind.  I  unsaddled 
the  mule,  and  made  a  bed  of  my  cloak  and  trappings.  After 
tj'ing  the  animal  to  a  stone,  I  appeased  my  hunger  with  roasted 
maize  and  cheese,  and  lay  down  to  sleep.  But  scarcely  had  my 
eyes  closed,  when  an  intolerable  burning  pain  in  my  eyelids 
awakened  me.  There  was  no  more  hope  of  sleep.  The  hours 
of  the  night  seemed  endless.  When  I  reckoned  that  day  must  be 
breaking,  I  opened  my  eyes,  and  discovered  all  the  misery  of  my 
situation.  A  human  corpse  had  served  as  my  pillow.  •  Shudder- 
ing, I  hastened  out  of  the  cave,  to  saddle  my  mule  and  leave 
this  dismal  place ;  but  the  good  beast  was  lying  dead  upon  the 
ground ; — in  his  hunger  he  had  eaten,  as  it  appeared,  the  poison- 
ous garhancillo.  Poor  beast !  he  had  shared  some  hard  adven- 
tures with  me.  I  turned  again  towards  the  cave.  The  sun  had 
risen  upon  this  frozen  world ;  and  encouraged  by  signs  of  light 
and  life  around  me,  I  ventured  to  inspect  the  body  of  my  lifeless 
companion.  It  was  the  corpse  of  a  half-Indian ;  and  several 
deadly  wounds  in  the  head  explained  that  he  had  been  murdered 
by  the  slings  of  Indian  robbers,  who  had  taken  away  his  clothes. 
I  seized  my  gun,  and  shot  a  mountain  hare — which  served  for 
breakfast ;  then  waited  for  help.  It  was  near  noon  when  I 
heard  a  monotonous,  short  cry,  now  and  then  breaking  the  still- 
ness. Recognizing  the  tones,  I  mounted  on  the  nearest  point  of 
rock ;  and,  looking  down,  discovered  the  two  Indian  lama-drivers 
•whom  I  had  met  on  the  previous  day.  I  hastened  to  them,  and 
persuaded  them,  by  the  gift  of  a  little  tobacco,  to  leave  one  of 
their  lamas  with  me,  to  carry  my  baggage." 


'  I 


ROSAS. 


TREATMENT  OF  PRISONERS  BY  ROSAS. 


The  history  of  the  civil  war  in  the  Argentine  repuuh'c  of  South 
Anaerica,  presents  many  inBtaneos  of  atrocity  which  are  almost 
without  parallel  among  civilized  nations.  The  perpetrator  of 
most  of  tlicse  outrages,  was  General  Rosas,  the  leader  of  the 
Federalist  faction — a  man  of  decided  ability,  but  selfish  in  his 
aims,  and  unscrupulous  in  his  means.  The  treatment  of  prisoners 
by  both  parties  was  marked  with  savage  zeal.  Quarter  was  sel- 
dom given,  each  faction  looking  upon  the  other  as  composed  of 
traitors.  The  following  illustration  of  the  bloody  policy  pursued 
by  Rosas  is  well  authenticated  : — 

"  Near  his  encampment  were  two  or  three  country  mansions; 
one  of  which,  not  more  than  three  hundred  yards  from  the  scene, 

was  occupied  by  Don ,  whose  lady  chanced  to  be  on  the  as- 

Botc  when  three  prisoners  were  brought  into  the  camp.  The 
(100) 


TREATMENT  OF  PRISONERS  BY  ROSAS.  101 


natural  sympathies  of  a  woman's  heart  were  at  once  excited  iu 
their  behalf,  and  she  watched  with  great  anxiety  the  course  pur- 
sued toward  them.  Each  having  been  divested  of  his  coat,  vest, 
and  hat,  was  brought  out  upon  the  plain  and  placed  in  what  is 
called  stac ;  that  is  to  say,  they  were  placed  upon  their  backs  on 
the  ground,  their  arms  extended  and  secured  in  that  position  by 
thongs  tied  about  the  wrists,  and  fastened  to  stakes  driven  in  the 
ground  for  that  pui'pose,  with  their  feet  in  the  same  manner; 
and  the  poor  fellows  were  thus  left  in  the  sun,  with  their  faces 
upward.  When  the  lady  saw  this,  she  hastened  to  inform  her 
husband,  and  entreated  of  him  to  intercede  for  their  liberation ; 
but  he  answered,  that  to  interfere  with  a  decree  of  Rosas,  would 
be  to  endanger  his  own  life  without  a  possibility  of  saving  the 
victims.  The  lady's  anxiety  increased.  Again  and  again,  dur- 
ing the  day  would  she  go  to  the  housetop  in  hopes  of  finding  that 
they  had  been  removed;  but  as  often  did  she  see  them  in  their 
helpless  position  broiling  in  the  sun  !  As  the  shades  of  night 
came  on  and  found  them  still  there,  she  became  almost  frantic: 
in  vain  had  her  husband  urged  and  entreated  her  to  remain  be- 
low— there  was  a  horrible  infatuation  that  drew  her,  spite  of  her 
will,  to  look  upon  the  scene  until  it  had  unfitted  her  for  every 
other  thought.  At  night  she  could  not  sleep :  the  vision  of  those 
miserable  men  was  constantly  before  her  eyes,  and  at  the  earliest 
dawn  she  was  again  at  the  housetop.  They  were  still  in  view, 
stretched  out  as  she  had  last  seen  them,  and  where  they  had  now 
remained  during  the  space  of  at  least  twenty  hours. 

"  At  last  they  were  unbound ;  and  the  lady,  clapping  her 
hands  with  joy  exclaimed,  '  they  have  taken  them  up  !  they  have 
taken  them  up  !'  But  her  joy  was  of  short  duration;  the  poor 
fellows,  blinded  and  scarcely  able  to  stand,  were  staggering  about 
on  their  feet  as  Rosas  came  from  his  tent;  and  in  a  few  minutes 
after,  a  volley  of  six  muskets  brought  them  to  the  ground,  and 
put  an  end  to  their  mortal  agony." 

The  cruel  Rosas  was  overthrown  in  a  great  battle  fought  Feb. 
3rd,  1852,  by  General  Urquiza,  who  succeeded  to  his  power. 
Rosas  had  been  dictator  for  about  twenty  years. 

9* 


SCOTCH   AND  ENGLISH  HUNTERS   IN   SOUTH 

AFRICA. 

The  interior  of  South  Africa  has  become  famous  for  the  abun- 
dance and  noble  character  of  its  game,  and  the  singular  beauty 
of  its  scenery. 

"  Everything  upon  which  the  eye  rests  has  the  appearance  of 
having  been  cast  in  a  mould,  nowhere  else  made  use  of  in  the 
system  of  nature.  Among  the  terrestial  animals  what  bulk  and 
fantastic  formations  !  How  numerous  and  strikingly  contrasted  are 
the  groups  that  present  themselves  !  In  their  character  and  habits 
what  extremes  appear  to  meet !  How  unspeakably  lavish  seems 
to  be  the  waste  of  vitality  !  Yet  who  would  dare  to  say,  that  in 
this  prodigious  outpouring  of  animal  life,  there  is  a  single  crea- 
ture that  does  not  enjoy  and  adorn  the  scene  on  which  it  moves? 
If  there  be  anything  we  should  be  disposed  to  think  out  of  place, 
it  is  the  stunted  representatives  of  humanit}',  which,  under  the 
name  of  Bushmen,  roam  in  indescribable  misery  and  degradation 
over  those  sublime  savannas.  To  a  man  of  imagination,  nothing 
more  inspiring  can  be  conceived  than  climbing  one  of  the  breezy 
peaks  overlooking  that  strange  wilderness,  at  the  moment  that 
the  dawn  is  busily  unfolding  all  its  varied  features.  From  every 
tree  the  heavy  dew-drops  pour  like  rain  :  streams  of  white  mist, 
smooth  and  glassy  as  a  tranquil  river,  float  slowly  down  the  val- 
leys, reflecting  from  their  sui^face  the  trees,  and  cliffs,  and  crags 
on  either  hand.  Here,  through  openings  between  feathery  mi- 
mosas, weeping  willows,  and  tall  trembling  reeds,  we  catch  a 
glimpse  of  some  quiet  lake,  the  haunt  of  the  hippopotamus ; 
while  a  herd  of  graceful  purple  antelopes  arc  seen  drinking  on 
its  further  margin.  There,  amidst  thick  clumps  of  camel-thorn, 
we  behold  a  drove  of  giraffes,  with  heads  eighteen  feet  high, 

rio2) 


/;.  :■.. 


HUNTERS  IN  SOUTH  AFRICA.  103 


Vrowt^iag  on  the  tops  of  trees.  Elsewhere  the  rhiriocoros  pokes 
fortli  his  long  ugly  snout  from  a  brake.  While  the  lion,  fearless 
in  the  consciousness  of  his  own  strength,  parades  his  tawny  bulk 
over  the  plain,  or  reclines  in  sphinx-like  attitude  beneath  some 
ancient  tree." 

Many  Englishmen  have  visited  this  teeming  country  for  the 
sole  purpose  of  enjoying  the  exhilarating  sport.  Mr.  Gordon 
Gumming,  Sir  Cornwallis  Harris,  and  others,  have  published  well 
written  narratives  of  their  adventures  and  achievements,  some  of 
which  display  much  heroism  on  the  part  of  these  enthusiastic 
Nimrods.  Mr.  Gumming  was,  perhaps,  as  daring,  persevering, 
and  successful  a  hunter  as  ever  lived.  During  live  years,  the 
term  of  his  re.sidence  in  South  Africa,  he  brought  down  more 
than  fifty  elcpluiiits,  upw.-irds  of  twenty  lions,  and  many  other 
uaiimils,  soiiu!  (if  wbicli  woro  c(ju:illy  formidable.  The  following 
relations  will  illustrate  the  character  of  the  sport  and  the  charac- 
t-cr  of  the  sportsnuin. 

"On  the  Tdrd  of  Scjitcmber,  although  Iiarasscd  in  my  mind, 
and  fearing  to  lose  all  my  horses  if  I  did  not  spdidily  forsake  the 
country,  1  yielded  tu  my  inclination,  and  the  persuasions  of  Mut- 
chuisho,  once  more  to  take  the  field,  and  follow  the  spoor  of  two 
Lull  elephants,  reported  to  have  visited  a  distant  fountain.  Be- 
fore starting  I  gave  Johannus  my  phlegme,  and  a  hasty  lesson 
in  the  art  (;f  bleeding,  with  instructions  to  bleed  copiously  any 
of  my  stud  evincing  the  slightest  symptoms  of  distemper.  We 
held  an  easterly  ccmrse,  ;iud  at  sundown  on  the  second  day  I 
bagged  a  wliife  rhinoceros  ;iiul  a  fine  old  bull  elephant,  beside 
whose  carcase  I  bivt)iiuckcd  as  usual.  On  the  forenoon  of  the 
25th  I  saddled  up  and  held  for  camp,  accompanied  by  only  one 
attendant. 

"  It  was  a  glorious  day,  with  a  cloudy  sky,  and  the  wind  blew 
fresh  off  the  Southern  Ocean.  Having  ridden  some  miles  in  a 
northerly  direction,  we  crossed  the  broad  and  gravelly  bed  of  a 
periodical  river,  in  whieh  were  abundance  of  holes  excavated  by 
the  elephants,  containing  delicious  water.  Having  j^assed  the 
viver,  we  entered  an  extensive  grove  of  picturesque  cameel-dorn 


104  HUNTERS  IN  SOUTH  AFKIGA. 


trees,  clad  in  young  foliage  of  the  most  delicious  green.  On 
gaining  a  gentle  eminence  about  a  mile  beyond  this  grove,  I 
looked  forth  upon  an  extensive  hollow,  where  I  beheld  for  the 
first  time  for  many  days  a  fine  old  cock  ostrich,  which  quickly 
observed  us  and  dashed  away  to  our  left.  I  had  ceased  to  devote 
my  attention  to  the  ostrich,  and  was  straining  my  eyes  in  an 
opposite  direction,  when  Klienboy  called  out  to  me,  '  Dar  loup 
de  ould  carle ;'  and  turning  my  eyes  to  the  retreating  ostrich,  I 
beheld  two  first-rate  old  bull  elephants,  charging  along  at  their 
utmost  speed  within  a  hundred  yards  of  it.  They  seemed  at  first 
to  be  in  great  alarm,  but,  quickly  discovering  what  it  was  that 
had  caused  their  confusion,  they^at  once  reduced  their  pace  to  a 
slow  and  stately  walk.  This  was  a  fine  look-out,  the  country 
appeared  to  be  favourable  for  au  attack,  and  I  was  followed  by 
Wolf  and  Bonteberg,  both  tried  and  serviceable  dngj  with  ele- 
phants. Owing  to  the  pace  at  which  I  had  been  riding,  both 
dogs  and  horses  were  out  of  breath,  so  I  resolved  not  to  attack 
the  elephants  immediately,  but  to  follow  slowly,  holding  them  in 
view. 

"  The  elephants  were  proceeding  right  up  the  wind,  and  the 
distance  betwixt  us  Avas  about  five  hundred  yards.  I  advanced 
quietly  towards  them,  and  had  proceeded  about  halfway,  when, 
casting  my  eyes  to  my  right,  I  beheld  a  whole  herd  of  tearing 
bull  elephants  standing  thick  together  on  a  wooded  eminence 
"within  three  hundred  yards  of  me.  These  elephants  were  almost 
to  leeward.  Now  the  correct  thing  to  do  was  to  slay  the  best  in 
each  troop,  which  I  accomplished  in  the  following  manner , — I 
gave  the  large  herd  my  wind,  upon  which  they  instantly  tossed 
their  trunks  aloft,  'a  moment  snufied  the  tainted  gale,'  and 
wheeling  about,  charged  right  down  wind,  crashing  through  the 
jungle  in  dire  alarm.  My  object  now  was  to  endeavour  to  select 
the  finest  bull,  and  hunt  him  to  a  distance  from  the  other  troop, 
before  I  should  commence  to  play  upon  his  hide.  Stirring  my 
Bteed,  I  galloped  forward.  Right  in  my  path  stood  two  rhinoce- 
roses of  the  white  variety,  and  to  these  the  dogs  instantly  gave 
chase.     I  followed  in  the  wake  of  the  retreating  elephants,  trac- 


HUNTERS  IN  SOUTH  AFIUCA.  105 


ing  their  course  by  the  red  dust  ^Yhich  they  raised  and  left  in 
clouds  behind  them, 

"Presently  emerging  into  an  open  glade,  I  came  fall  in  sight 
of  the  mighty  game  ;  it  was  a  truly  glorious  sight ;  there  were 
nine  or  ten  of  them,  which  were,  with  one  exception,  full-grown, 
first-rate  bulls,  and  all  of  theiu  carried  very  long,  heavy,  and 
perfect  tusks.  Their  first  panic  being  over,  tlicy  had  reduced 
their  pace  to  a  free,  majestic  walk,  and  they  followed  one  leader 
in  a  long  line,  exhibiting  an  appearance  so  grand  and  striking, 
that  any  description,  however  brilliant,  must  fail  to  convey  to 
the  mind  of  the  reader  an  adequate  idea  of  the  reality.  Increa.s- 
ing  my  pace,  I  shot  alongside,  at  the  same  time  riding  well  out 
from  the  elephants,  the  better  to  obtain  an  inspection  of  their 
tusk.s.  It  was  a  difficult  niatter  to  decide  which  of  them  I  should 
(select,  for  every  elephant  seemed  better  than  his  neighbour;  but, 
0(1  account  of  the  extraordinary  size  aird  beauty  of  his  tusks,  I 
eventually  pitched  upon  a  patriarchal  bull,  which,  as  is  usual 
with  the  heaviest,  brought  up  the  rear.  I  presently  separated 
him  from  his  comrades,  and  endeavoured  to  drive  him  in  a  north- 
erly direction.  There  is  a  peculiar  art  in  driving  an  elephant  in 
the  particular  course  which  you  may  fancy,  and,  simple  as  it 
m;iy  seem,  it  nevertheless  requires  the  hunter  to  have  a  tolerable 
idea  of  what  he  is  about.  It  is  widely  different  from  driving  in 
eland,  which  also  requires  judicious  riding:  if  you  a25proach  too 
near  your  elephant  or  shout  to  him,  a  furious  charge  will  certain- 
ly ensue,  whilst,  on  the  other  hand,  if  you  give  him  too  wide  a 
berth,  the  chances  are  that  3'ou  will  lose  him  in  the  junn^le, 
which,  notwithstanding  his  size,  is  a  very  simple  matter,  and  if 
once  lost  .sight  of,  it  is  more  than  an  even  bet  that  the  hunter  will 
never  again  obtain  a  glimpse  of  him.  The  ground  being  favourable, 
Klienboy  called  to  me  to  commence  firing,  remarking  very  pru- 
dently that  he  was  probably  making  for  some  jungle  of  wait-a-bits, 
where  we  might  eventually  lose  him.  I  continued,  however,  to 
reserve  my  fire  until  I  had  hunted  him  to  what  I  considered  to 
be  a  safe  distance  from  the  two  old  fellows  which  we  had  first 
discovered. 


106  HUNTERS  IN  SOUTH  AFRICA. 


"  At  length  closing  with  him,  I  dared  hira  to  charge,  which 
he  instantly  did  in  fine  style,  and  as  he  pulled  up  in  his  career  1 
yelled  to  him  a  note  of  bold  defiance,  and  cantering  alongside,  ] 
again  defied  him  to  the  combat.  It  was  thus  the  fight  began,  and, 
the  ground  being  still  fiivourable,  I  opened  a  sharp  fire  upon  him, 
and  in  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  twelve  of  my  bullets  were 
lodged  in  his  forequarters.  He  now  evinced  strong  symptoms 
of  approaching  dissolution,  and  stood  catching  up  the  dust  with 
the  point  of  his  trunk  and  throwing  it  in  clouds  above  and  around 
him.  At  such  a  moment  it  is  extremely  dangerous  to  approach  an 
elephant  on  foot,  for  I  have  remarked  that,  although  nearly  dead, 
he  can  muster  strength  to  make  a  charge  with  great  impetuosity. 
Being  anxious  to  finish  him,  I  dismounted  from  my  steed,  and, 
availing  myself  of  the  cover  of  a  gigantic  nwana-trec,  whose 
diameter  was  not  less  than  ten  feet,  I  ran  up  within  twenty 
yards,  and  gave  it  him  sharp  right  and  left  behind  the  shoulder. 
These  two  shots  wound  up  the  proceeding;  on  receiving  them 
he  backed  stern  foremost  into  the  cover,  and  then  walked  slowly 
away.  I  had  loaded  my  rifle,  and  v.'as  putting  on  the  caps,  when 
I  heard  him  fall  over  heavily;  but,  alas !  the  sound  was  accom- 
panied by  a  sharp  crack,  which  I  too  well  knew,  denoted  the  de- 
struction of  one  of  his  lovely  tusks;  and  on  running  forward,  I 
found  him  l3'ing  dead,  with  the  tusk,  vi'hich  lay  under,  snapped 
through  the  middle. 

"  I  did  not  tarry  long  for  an  inspection  of  the  elephant,  but, 
mounting  my  horse,  I  at  once  set  off  to  follow  on  the  spoor  of 
the  two  old  fellows  which  the  ostrich  had  alarmed.  Fortunately 
I  fell  in  with  a  party  of  natives,  who  were  on  their  way  to  the 
waggons  with  the  impedimenta,  and  assisted  by  these,  I  had  san- 
guine hopes  of  shortly  overtaking  the  noble  quarr3\  We  had 
not  gone  far  when  two  wild  boars,  with  enormous  tusks,  stood 
within  thirty  yards  of  me,  but  this  was  no  time  to  fire,  and  a  lit- 
tle after  a  pair  of  white  rhinoceroses  stood  directly  in  our  path. 
Casting  my  eyes  to  the  right,  I  beheld  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
of  me  a  herd  of  eight  or  ten  cow  elephants,  with  calves,  peaceful- 
ly browsing  on  a  sparely  wooded  knoll.     The  spoor  we  followed 


g^fri/'i'. -p  -v\^ 


HUNTERS  IX  SOUTH  AFRICA.  109 


led  due  south,  and  the  wind  was  as  fair  as  it  could  blow.  We 
passed  between  two  twin-looking  abrupt  pyramidal  hills,  com- 
posed of  huge  disjointed  blocks  of  granite,  which  lay  piled  above 
each  other  in  grand  confusion.  To  the  summit  of  one  of  these  I 
ascended  with  a  native,  but  the  forest  in  advance  was  so  impene- 
trable that  we  could  see  nothing  of  the  game  we  sought.  De- 
scending from  the  hillock  we  resumed  the  spoor,  and  were  enabled 
to  follow  at  a  rapid  pace ;  the  native  who  led  the  spooring  party 
being  the  best  tracker  in  Eamaugwato.  I  had  presently  very 
great  satisfaction  to  perceive  that  the  elephants  had  not  been 
alarmed,  their  course  being  strewed  with  branches  which  they 
had  chewed  as  they  slowly  fed  along.  The  trackers  now  became 
extremely  excited,  and  strained  their  eyes  on  every  side  in  the 
momentary  expectation  of  beholding  the  elephants.  At  length 
we  emerged  into  an  open  glade,  and-  clearing  a  grove  of  thorny 
mimosas,  we  came  full  in  sight  of  one  of  them.  Cautiously  ad- 
vancing, and  looking  to  my  right,  I  next  discovered  his  comrade, 
standing  in  a  thicket  of  low  wait-a-bits,  within  a  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  of  me  ;  they  were  both  first-rate  old  bulls,  with  enor- 
mous tusks  of  great  length.  I  dismounted,  and  warily  approached 
the  second  elephant  for  a  closer  inspection  of  his  tusks.  As  I 
drew  near  he  slightly  turned  his  head,  and  I  then  perceived  that 
his  farther  one  was  damaged  towards  the  point,  while  at  the  same 
instant  his  comrade,  raising  his  head  clear  of  the  bush  on  which 
he  browsed  di.-^played  to  my  delighted  eyes  a  pair  of  the  most 
beautiful  and  perfect  tusks  1  had  ever  seen. 

"Regaining  my  horse,  I  advanced  toward  this  elephant,  and 
when  within  forty  yards  of  him  he  walked  slowly  on  before  me 
in  an  open  space,  his  huge  ears  gently  flapping,  and  entirely 
concealing  me  from  his  view.  Inclining  to  the  left,  I  slightly  in- 
creased my  pace,  and  walked  past  him,  within  sixty  yards,  upon 
which  he  observed  me  for  the  first  time;  but  probably  mistaking 
"  Sunday"  for  a  hartebeest,  he  continued  his  course  with  his  eye 
upon  me,  but  showed  no  symptoms  of  alarm.  The  natives  had 
requested  me  to  endeavour,  if  possible,  to  hunt  him  towards  the 
water,  which  lay  in  a  northerly  direction,  and  this  I  resolved  tn 

I'J 


110  HUNTERS  IN"  SOUTH  AFRICA. 


do.  Having  advanced  a  little,  I  gave  liim  my  wind,  when  he 
was  instantly  alarmed  and  backed  into  the  bushes,  holding  his 
head  high  and  right  to  me.  Thus  he  stood  motionless  as  a  statue, 
under  the  impression  probably,  that  owing  to  his  Lilliputian  di- 
mensions I  had  failed  to  observe  him,  and  fancying  that  I 
would  pass  on  without  detecting  him.  I  rode  slowly  on,  and 
described  a  semicircle  to  obtain  a  shot  at  his  shoulder,  and,  halt- 
ing my  horse,  I  fired  from  the  saddle ;  he  got  it  in  the  shoulder- 
blade,  and,  as  slowly  and  silently  I  continued  my  course,  he  still 
stood  gazing  at  me  in  utter  astonishment.  Bill  and  Flam  were 
now  slipped  by  the  natives,  and  in  another  moment  they  were 
barking  around  him.  I  shouted  loudly  to  encourage  the  dogs 
and  perplex  the  elephant,  who  seemed  puzzled  to  know  what  to 
think  of  us,  and  shrilly  trumpeting,  charged  headlong  after  the 
dogs.  Eetreating,  he  backed  into  the  thicket,  then  charged  once 
more,  and  made  clean  away,  holding  the  course  I  wanted.  When  I 
tried  to  fire,  '  Sunday'  was  very  fidgety,  and  destroyed  the  correct- 
ness of  my  aim.  Approaching  the  elephant  I  presently  dismount- 
ed and  running  in,  gave  him  two  fine  shots  behind  the  shoulder  ; 
then  the  dogs,  which  were  both  indiiferent  ones,  ran  barking  at 
him.  The  consequence  was  a  terrific  charge,  the  dogs  at  once 
making  for  their  master,  and  bringing  the  elephant  right  upon 
me.  I  had  no  time  to  gain  my  saddle,  but  ran  for  my  life.  The 
dogs,  fortunately,  took  after  '■  Sunday,'  who,  alarmed  by  the 
trumpeting,  dashed  frantically  away.  Though  in  the  midst  of  a 
most  dangerous  affray,  I  could  not  help  laughing  to  remark  horse, 
dogs,  and  elephant  all  charging  along  in  a  direct  line. 

"  The  dogs,  having  missed  their  master,  held  away  for  Klein- 
boy,  who  had  long  disappeared  I  knew  not  whither.  '  Sunday ' 
stood  still,  and  commenced  to  graze,  while  the  elephant  slowly 
passing  within  a  few  yards  of  him,  assumed  a  position  under  a 
tree  beside  him.  Kleinboy  presently  making  his  appearance,  I 
called  to  him  to  ride  in  and  bring  me  my  steed,  but  he  refused 
and  asked  me  if  I  wished  him  to  go  headlong  to  destruction 
'Sunday'  having  fed  slowly  away  from  the  elephant,  I  went  up 
and  ho  allowed  me  to  recapture  him.     I  now  plainly  saw  that  the 


""'^'l)^*v^\\\Vfeli.lfi>^lJilliJllWllvl'>i"'>i  ''•Mv'ii^^ 


HUXTEKS  IN  SOUTH  AFRICA.  Ill 


elephant  was  dying,  but  I  continued  firing  to  hasten  his  demise. 
Towards  the  end  he  took  up  a  position  in  a  dense  thorny  thicket, 
where  for  a  long  time  he  remained.  Approaching  within  twelve 
paces,  I  fired  my  two  last  shots,  aiming  at  his  left  side,  close  be- 
hind the  shoulder.  On  receiving  these  he  backed  slowly  through 
the  thicket,  and,  clearing  it,  walked  gently  forward  about  twenty 
yards,  when  he  suddenly  came  down  with  tremendous  violence 
right  on  his  broadside.  To  my  intense  mortiticatiou,  the  heavy 
fall  was  accompanied  by  a  loud  sharp  crack,  and  on  going  up 
I  found  one  of  his  matchless  tusks  broken  short  off  by  the  lip. 
This  was  a  glorious  day's  sport :  I  had  bagged  in  one  afternoon 
probably  the  two  finest  bull  elephants  in  Bamangwato,  and  had 
it  not  been  for  the  destruction  of  their  noble  trophies,  which 
were  the  two  finest  pair  of  tusks  I  had  obtained  that  season,  my 
triumph  on  the  occasion  had  been  great  and  unalloyed. 

"  I  was  now  languid  and  faint  from  excessive  thirst,  and  the 
nearest  water  was  still  very  remote.  Being  joined  by  the  natives 
we  quickly  proceeded  to  divest  the  side  of  the  elephant  of  a  large 
sheet  of  the  outer  skin,  when  of  tlie  under  one  we  constructed  a 
pair  of  water-bags,  with  which  two  of  the  natives  set  out,  leading 
along  with  them  the  dogs  and  horses;  nor  did  they  rejoin  us  till 
after  midnight,  having  lost  their  reckoning  by  the  way.  Their 
comrades  who  were  with  me,  conjecturing  the  cause  of  the  delay, 
requested  me  to  fire  signal-shots  at  intervals  throughout  the 
night,  which  was  the  means  of  their  eventually  reaching  their 
destination.  At  an  early  hour  on  the  following  day,  leaving 
Kleinboy  with  the  natives  to  look  after  the  ivory,  I  set  out  with 
two  men  to  shuw  them  where  the  other  elephant  lay,  and  thence 
to  continue  uiy  w;\y  to  camp. 

"  I  continued  hunting  to  the  eastward  of  Bamangwato  until 
the  3rd  of  October,  during  which  time  I  added  four  other  noble 
elephants,  besides  rhinoceroses  and  other  animals,  to  my  already 
satisfactory  list  of  game." 

Sir  Cornwallis  Harris  met  with  many  adventures  of  a  thrilling 
nature,  of  which  the  following  may  serve  as  a  specimen  : — 

•"  On  the  morning  of  the  9th  of  October,  when  the  wagons  had 


112  HUNTERS  IN  SOUTH  AFRICA. 


started  on  their  way  to  the  Meritsane  river  our  next  stage,  1 
turned  off  the  road  in  pursuit  of  a  group  of  brindled  gnoos,  and 
presently  came  upon  another  which  was  joined  by  a  third  still 
larger ;  then  by  a  vast  herd  of  zebras,  and  again  by  more  gnoos, 
with  sassabes  and  hartebeests  pouring  down  from  every  quarter, 
until  the  landscape  literally  presented  the  appearance  of  a  moving 
mass  of  gamj3.  Their  incredible  numbers  so  impeded  their  pro- 
gress, that  I  had  no  difficulty  in  closing  in  with  them,  dismount- 
ing as  opportunity  offered,  firing  both  barrels  of  my  rifle  into  the 
retreating  phalanx,  and  leaving  the  ground  strewed  with  the 
slain.  Still  unsatisfied,  I  could  not  resist  the  temptation  of  mix- 
ing with  the  fugitives,  loading  and  firing,  until  my  jaded  horse 
suddenly  exhibited  symptoms  of  distress,  and  shortly  afterwards 
was  unable  to  move.  At  this  moment  I  discovered  that  I  had 
dropped  my  pocket  compass,  and  being  unwilling  to  lose  so  valu- 
able an  ally,  I  turned  loose  my  steed  to  graze,  and  retraced  my 
steps  several  miles  without  success ;  the  prints  of  my  horse's 
hoofs  being  at  length  lost  in  those  of  the  countless  herds  which 
had  crossed  the  plain.  Completely  absorbed  in  the  chase,  I  had 
retained  but  an  imperfect  idea  of  my  locality,  but  returning  to 
my  horse,  I  led  him  in  what  I  believed  to  be  a  north-easterly  di- 
rection, knowing  from  a  sketch  of  the  country  which  had  been 
given  me  by  cur  excellent  friend,  Mr.  Moffatt,  and  which  together 
with  drawing  materials,  I  carried  about  me,  that  that  course 
would  eventually  bring  me  to  the  Meritsane.  After  dragging 
my  weary  horse  nearly  the  whole  of  the  day,  under  a  burning 
sun,  my  flagging  spirits  were  at  length  revived  by  the  appearance 
of  several  villaij-es.  Under  other  circumstances  I  should  have 
avoided  intercourse  with  their  inhospitable  inmates,  but  dying 
with  thirst,  I  eagerly  entered  each  in  succession,  and  tomy  inex- 
j.re.'sible  astonishment  found  them  deserted;  the  same  evidence 
exi.-.tiug  of  their  having  been  recently  inhabited.  I  shot  a  harte- 
bccst,  in  the  hope  that  the  smell  of  meat  would  as  usual  bring 
some  stragglers  to  the  spot,  but  no  :  the  keen-sighted  vultures, 
that  were  my  only  attendants,  descended  in  multitudes,  but  no 
woolly-headed  negro  appeared  to  dispute  the  prey.     In  many  of 


ilim,'""-'^'  '""'"i; 


HUNTERS  IN  SOUTH  AFRICA.  113 


the  trees  I  observed  large  tliatclied  houses  resembling  hay-stacks, 
and  under  the  impression  that  these  had  been  erected  in  so  sin- 
gular a  position  by  the  natives  as  a  measure  of  security  against 
the  lions,  whose  recent  tracks  I  distinguished  in  every  direction, 
I  ascended  more  than  one  in  the  hope  of  at  least  finding  some 
vessel  containing  water ;  alas  !  they  proved  to  be  the  habitations 
of  large  communities  of  social  grosbeaks,  those  winged  republi- 
cans, of  whose  architecture  and  magnificent  edifices,  I  had  till 
now  entertained  a  very  inadequate  conception.  Faint  and  bewil- 
dered, my  prospects  began  to  brighten  as  the  shadows  of  evening 
lengthened ;  large  troops  of  ostriches  running  in  one  direction 
plainly  indicated  that  I  was  approaching  water,  and  immediately 
afterwards  I  struck  into  a  path  impressed  with  the  foot-marks  of 
women  and  children,  soon  arriving  at  a  nearly  dry  river,  which, 
running  east  and  west,  I  at  once  concluded  to  be  that  of  which  I 
was  in  search. 

"  Those  only  who  have  suffered  as  I  did  during  this  day  from 
prolonged  thirst,  can  form  a  competent  idea  of  the  delight,  and, 
I  may  say,  energy,  afforded  me  by  the  first  draught  of  the  putrid 
waters  of  the  Mcritsane.  They  equally  invigorated  my  exhausted 
steed,  which  I  mounted  immediately,  and  cantered  up  the  bank 
of  the  river,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  reach  the  wagons  before 
dark.  The  banks  are  precipitous,  the  channels  deep,  broken, 
and  rocky,  clusters  of  reeds  and  long  grass  indicating  those  spots 
which  retain  the  water  during  the  hot  months.  It  was  with  no 
small  difiiculty,  after  crossing  the  river,  that  I  forced  my  way 
through  the  broad  belt  of  tangled  bushes  which  margined  the 
edge.  The  moonless  night  was  fast  closing  round,  and  my  weary 
horse  again  began  to  droop.  The  lions,  commencing  their  nightly 
prowl,  were  roaring  in  all  directions,  and  no  friendly  fire  or  bea- 
con presenting  itself  to  my  view,  the  only  alternative  was  to 
bivouac  where  I  was,  and  to  renew  my  search  in  the  morning. 
Kindling  a  fire,  I  formed  a  thick  bush  into  a  pretty  secure  hut, 
Dy  cutting  away  the  middle,  and  closing  the  entrance  with  thorns; 
and  having  knee-haltered  my  horse,  to  prevent  his  straying,  I 
proceeded  to  dine  upon  a  guinea-fowl  that  I  had  killed,  comfort- 

10* 


T14  HUNTERS  IK  SOUTH  AFRICA. 


ing  myself  with  another  draught  otaquapura.  The  inonarcbs 
of  the  forest  roared  incessantly,  Jind  so  alarmed  my  horse  tliat  1 
was  obliged  repeatedly  to  fire  my  riflo  to  give  him  confidence.  It 
was  piercingly  cold,  and  all  my  fuel  being  expended,  I  sufl'ercd 
as  much  from  the  chill,  as  I  had  during  the  day  from  the  scorch- 
ing heat.  About  three  o'clock,  completely  overcome  by  fatigue, 
I  could  keep  my  eyes  open  no  longer,  and  commending  myself  to 
the  protecting  care  of  Providence,  fell  into  a  profound  sleep.  On 
opening  my  eyes,  my  first  thought  was  of  my  horse.  I  started 
from  my  heathy  bed  in  the  hope  of  finding  him  where  I  had  last 
seen  him,  but  his  place  was  empty.  I  roamed  everywhere  in 
search  of  him,  and  ascended  trees  which  offered  a  good  look  out; 
but  he  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  It  was  more  than  probable  that  he 
bad  been  eaten  by  lions,  and  I  had  almost  given  up  the  search  iu 
despair,  when  I  at  length  found  his  footmark,  and  traced  him  to 
a  deep  hollow  near  the  river,  where  he  was  quietly  grazing. 
The  night's  rest,  if  so  it  could  be  called,  had  restored  him  te 
strength,  and  I  pursued  my  journey  along  the  bank  of  the  river, 
which  I  now  crossed  opposite  to  the  site  of  some  former  scene  of 
strife,  marked  by  numerous  human  bones,  bleached  by  exposure. 
A  little  further  on  I  disturbed  a  large  lion,  which  walked  slowly 
off,  occasionally  stopping  and  looking  over  his  shoulder,  as  he 
deliberately  ascended  the  opposite  bank.  In  half  an  hour  I 
reached  the  end  of  the  jungle;  and  discovered  the  wagon  road  ; 
but,  as  I  could  detect  no  recent  traces  of  it,  I  turned  to  the 
southward,  and,  after  riding  eight  miles  in  the  direction  of  Siek- 
lajole,  had  the  satisfaction  of  perceiving  the  wagons  drawn  up 
under  a  large  tree  in  the  middle  of  the  plain." 


DARING  EXPLOIT  OF  BRITISH  SAILORS. 


Within  the  beautiful  port  of  Genoa,  lay  at  anchor  a  French 
frigate  of  forty-two  guns,  dressed  out  in  splendid  array,  with  all  the 
ensigns  of  the  maritime  world,  to  commemorate  the  anniversary 
of  the  Republic  of  France  :  the  day  was  most  auspicious — light 
airs  displayed  the  flags  to  the  admiring  gaze  of  the  distingue  of 
Genoa,  many  of  whom  crowded  the  variegated  gondolas  that 
flocked  round  the  frigate,  whilst  others  traversed  the  3Iole  from 
end  to  end,  praising  the  equipment  of  this  superb  vessel,  which 
seemed  equally  adapted  for  defence  and  flight ;  her  tiers  of  guns, 
rdised  high  above  the  surface  of  the  sea,  frowned  defiance  to  all, 
whilst  her  exquisite  construction  stamped  her  the  fastest  sailer 
out  of  France.  In  the  distribution  of  her  flags,  it  was  observed 
that  a  marked  preference' was  given  to  those  of  the  most  favoured 
nations  of  the  new  Republic ;  the  stars  of  the  United  American 
States  waved  from  the  fore-royal-mast  head,  whilst  those  flags 
belonging  to  Holland  and  the  Italian  States,  had  lofty  positions 

avo-) 


116  DARING  EXPLOIT  OF  BRITISH  SAILORS. 


assigned  them.  In  vain  did  the  eje  look  above  her  gunwale  for 
a  flag  belonging  to  England,  none  floated  in  the  breeze  ;  but,  oh, 
horror  to  English  eyes  !  was  seen  extended  and  drooping  from  the 
frigate's  head-rails,  the  glorious  ensign  of  St.  George  for  England. 
Here  was  a  sight  for  Frenchmen  to  revel  in,  and  here,  also,  was  a 
sight  that  filled  some  hundreds  of  English  hearts  with  indignation, 
as  they  looked  from  the  deck  of  a  British  line-of-battle  ship  rid- 
ing at  anchor  in  the  outer  roads. 

This  ship,  the  Berwick,  Capt.  Littlejohn,  had  lately  arrived, 
to  gain  intelligence  of  the  route  taken  by  the  French  fleet  after 
its  departure  from  Toulon,  with  a  considerable  armament,  under 
General  Bonaparte.  The  performance  of  this  duty  was  soon  cut 
short  by  an  unlooked-for  event;  for  whilst  the  captain  was  pacing 
the  quarter-deck,  his  attention  became  directed  to  the  advance  of 
a  numerous  body  of  his  ship's  company,  who,  in  respectful  terms 
and  manner,  pointed  towards  the  outrageous  insult  offered  by  the 
French  frigate  before  their  eyes,  and  humbly  asked  his  permis- 
sion to  proceed  in  the  boats,  and  tear  down  the  British  flag  from 
its  disgraceful  position.  This  application  was  accompanied  by  a 
shrewd  remark  by  one  of  the  delegates,  saying,  that  although  the 
French  ship  was  protected  by  the  neutrality  of  the  port,  yet  that 
protection  became  forfeited  by  the  hostile  breach  so  conspicuously 
displayed  before  the  Genoese,  in  face  of  a  British  man-of-war  of 
seventy-four  guns. 

This  harangue  was,  however,  stopped  by  the  captain,  who, 
whilst  applauding  their  attachment  to  their  king  and  country, 
cautioned  them  to  refrain  from  all  violent  acts,  as  measures  would 
be  taken  by  himself  and  the  English  Consul  for  the  immediate 
removal  of  the  cause  of  irritation,  in  a  suitable  and  dignified  man- 
ner; he,  therefore,  on  dismissing  the  delegates,  proceeded  toward^ 
the  shore  for  the  completion  of  his  object. 

We  will  here  pause  for  a  moment,  and  endeavour  to  describe 
the  internal  state  of  this  ship.  Soon  after  the  captain's  departure, 
the  principal  officers  retired  from  the  quarter-deck,  and  as  noon 
was  fast  approaching,  they  assembled  together  in  the  ward-room, 
agreeable  to  custom,  pflfering  up  libations  to  the  rosy  god  in  a 


DARING  EXPLOIT  OF  BRITISH  SAILORS.  117 


style  not  practised  in  these  more  refined  times.  Whilst  thus  re- 
freshing themselves,  quietness  seemed  to  reign  throughout  the 
upper  decks ;  for  although  much  feeling  was  exhibited  by  tho 
officers  on  the  occasion  of  the  Frenchman's  insult,  yet  no  sooner 
was  the  captain  gone,  than,  drinking  success  to  the  war,  they 
became  passive  on  the  subject,  owing  to  the  reliance  they  placed 
on  the  known  energies  of  their  commander.  But  far  different 
was  the  scene  below ;  a  master  spirit,  in  the  person  of  George 
Manson,  a  Scotch  youth  (foretop-man)  was  stirring  up  for  volun- 
teers to  avenge  the  dishonour  cast  upon  the  British  navy.  Already 
fifty  of  the  boldest  were  busily  employed  arming  themselves  with 
weapons  of  every  kind ;  and  all  sorts  of  ammunition  especially 
twelve-pounder  cartridges,  and  canister-shot,  were  divided 
amongst  them,  fully  determined  to  carry  the  French  frigate 
or  perish  in  the  attempt;  their  leader  also  pointed  out  to  each 
their  several  parts,  and  great  stress  was  laid  upon  that  party 
armed  with  tomahawks  to  cut  away  the  tackle  belonging  to  the 
bow-chasers,  on  the  forecastle  on  the  instant  of  possession,  and 
point  their  muzzles  towards  the  quarter-deck.  These  premises 
being  understood,  they  shook  hands  with  all,  and  appeared  as  if 
prepared  for  some  chivalrous  show  instead  of  a  deadly  en- 
counter. 

At  the  hour  of  twelve,  three  boats  floating  astern  were 
hauled  close  under  the  fore-chains,  thus  enabling  the  undaunted 
fifty  to  pass  into  them  through  the  port-holes  unobserved  by  the 
officers ;  and  it  was  not  till  the  desperadoes  had  reached  several 
hundred  yards  on  their  way,  that  the  officers  became  aware  of 
their  absence ;  consequently,  the  few  shot  fired  to  compel  thejr 
return  were  found  perfectly  useless  and  thrown  away.  And  now 
all  on  board  were  on  the  lookout  for  the  result;  every  telescope 
was  put  in  requisition,  but  not  a  word  escaped  the  lips  of  the 
anxious  crew  during  the  dread  interval  of  the  boats  passing  from 
the  Berwick  to  the  frigate's  buoy;  when  the  silence  became 
broken  by  the  discharge  of  a  musket  from  the  French  sentinel 
on  the  gangway.  ''  They  will  be  cut  to  pieces,"  cried  a  veteran 
marine  officer.     In  a  few  seconds  more  the  boats  were  alongside 


118  DARING  EXPLOIT  OF  BRITISH  SAILOKS. 


under  the  fore-ebains.  "They  are  at  it/'  exclaimed  several 
voices.  Pistol  reports,  shouts,  and  loud  cries  were  distinctly 
heard  from  the  frigate;  whilst  the  gay  multitude  on  the  mole 
were  seen  running  about  in  evident  distraction.  Another  minute 
passed,  v/hen  a  loud  boom  from  a  great  gun  on  board  the  frigate 
announced  to  their  anxious  minds  the  progress  of  the  enterprise; 
and  in  ten  minutes  from  that  ominous  sound,  the  French  frigate 
was  seen  under  a  loosed  fore-topsail,  and  staysail  half  hoisted, 
slowly  leaving  the  port  exposed  to  the  fire  of  the  batteries  on  the 
mole  :  but  it  was  evident  to  all  spectators  that  the  master  spirit, 
George  Manson,  derided  all  their  efforts  to  stop  her;  and  to 
crown  his  extraordinary  success,  St.  George's  ensign  was  seen 
at  the  main  towering  over  the  tricolor  of  France  ! 

''  It  must  be  noticed  that  when  the  commanding  officer  of  H. 
M.  S.  Berwick  found  all  his  efforts  ineffectual  to  recall  the  fugi- 
tive  boats,  he  instantly  gave  orders  for  hoisting  out  the  launch  ; 
and  as  this  operation  usually  takes  several  minutes,  it  was  scarce- 
ly afloat  when  it  became  necessary  to  despatch  her  with  a  strong 
division  of  officers  and  men,  towards  the  approaching  frigate, 
which  they  soon  anchored  in  safety  under  the  protection  of  the 
Berwick. 

Thus  did  the  French  frigate  L'Unite  in  one  short  hour  be- 
come a  captive  to  an  intrepid  band  of  seamen  belonging  to  the 
nation  they  so  wantonly  contemned.  Even  her  very  flags,  (the 
cause  of  the  strife,)  so  gaily  waving  in  the  air  in  regular  order 
and  succession,  now  lay  xipon  the  yards  and  rigging  in  wisps  and 
folds,  unseemly  to  the  sight ;  whilst  her  decks  were  covered  with 
the  blood  of  dead  warriors,  who  lay  scattered  about,  marked  with 
ghastly  wounds  terrific  to  behold. 

It  is  difficult  to  describe  the  ferment  which  arose  in  the  city 
of  Genoa  on  seeing  L'Unite  in  a  state  of  confusion,  leaving  their 
harbour  under  English  colours.  At  one  period  they  insisted  upon 
the  detention  of  Capt.  Littlejohn  until  England  had  satisfied  their 
demands  consequent  upon  the  violation  of  the  port,  according  to 
the  practice  of  civilized  nations ;  but  that  officer  had  wisely  em- 
barked the  moment  the   fracas  was  announced,  and  joined  his 


DARING  EXPLOIT  OF  BRITISH  SAILORS.  119 


ship,  to  tliG  great,  joy  of  the.  Urifi.sh  Consul,  who  advised  the  de- 
tention of  the  French  frigate  till  he  had  reported  the  "catasti'Ophe" 
to  the  commander-in-chief  (Eurl  St.  Vincent;)  so  off  sailed  the 
Berwick  and  L'Unito  from  tha  Italian  shores,  shaping  their 
course,  under  a  cro'.vd  of  sail,  for  Gibraltar,  assisted  by  a  fair 
wind  that  not  only  gave  them  promise  of  a  short  voyage,  but 
Enabled  the  captain  to  hold  a  cnuuci!  with  his  ofiiccrs  on  an  cx- 
pliiit  unparu'.k'ii'd  in  the  annals  of  warfare.  The  result  of  this 
procedure  showed  that  fifty  British  seamen,  in  broad  open  day, 
boarded  and  took  a  French  frigate  of  forty-two  guns,  and  three 
hundred  and  fifty  men  :  all  of  whom  were  either  killed  or  driven 
overboard,  at  the  sacrifice  of  thirty-five  mca  killed,  and  the  re- 
maining fifteen  men  wounded,  who,  notwithstanding  their  severe 
hurts,  managed  to  cut  the  frigate's  cable,  loose  the  foretopsail, 
and  with  George  Manson  at  the  helm  steered  out  of  port,  to  the 
astonishment  of  the  natives. 

The  arrival  of  II.  M.  S.  Berv/ick  with  L'Unite  was  hailed 
with  great  joy  and  commendations  by  earl  St.  Vincent.  The 
frigate  was  now  announced  as  a  priz3,  and  commissioned  instanter ; 
thus  becoming  one  of  the  fleet  belonging  to  the  command  of  the 
noble  earl,  who  testified  his  approbation  of  the  gallant  deeds  of 
George  Manson  and  his  intrepid  followers  by  giving  direction  for 
their  dispersion  amongst  his  fleet,  and  on  their  recovery,  to  be 
brought  forward  as  officers,  and  cherished  their  hopes  with  pro- 
mises of  advancement  when  they  had  qualified  for  the  rank  of 
lieutenant. 

Here  we  leave  his  brethren  tars  to  their  fortunes,  and  keep 
only  to  those  of  George  Manson  ;  accordingly,  we  find  him 
equipped  in  midshipman's  uniform  by  tiio  bounty  of  his  benevo- 
lent superiors,  and  aided  by  the  chaplain  in  acquiring  the  art  of 
navigation,  soon  became  qualified  to  pass  his  examination  for  a 
lieutenant.  Thus  having  passed  this  ordeal,  he  received  an  act- 
ing order  to  do  duty  as  lieutenant;  which  duty  he  faithfull}'^  per- 
formed till  his  ship  was  paid  off,  and  then  he  became  of  course  a 
gentleman  at  large. 

Several   years   had    now  passed   since    the    afitiir    of    taking 


120  DARING  EXPLOIT  OF  BRITISH  SAILORS. 


L'Uuite  ;  he  naturally  became  surprised  and  uneasy  at  not  receiv- 
ing his  full  commission  as  lieutenant  in  the  navy ;  but,  having 
reached  London,  he  determined  upon  making  application  at  the 
fountain-head.  So,  entering  the  admiralty  hall  with  a  heart  beat- 
ing high  with  hopes  of  preferment,  he  sent  up  his  card,  not  doubt- 
ing but  the  hall  would  soon  resound  with  the  echoes  of  his  name  ; 
but  hour  after  hour  passed  without  the  least  mention  of  George 
Manson.  In  this  state  of  suspense  he  stepped  towards  the 
porter,  asking  him  if  he  was  sure  he  had  delivered  his  card. 

"  Quite  certain,"  replied  Old  BluiF;  "  and  what's  more,  you 
may  dance  attendance  here  many  a  day  ere  you  see  the  Great 
Man  I" 

This  was  sad  news  to  the  young  hero, — and  too  true  he 
found  it ;  for  not  only  days,  but  weeks  and  months  passed  away 
without  the  smallest  notice  being  taken  of  him.  At  length  his 
eyes  were  opened  by  a  kind  friend,  who  whispered  the  fatal  truth 
that,  however  the  noble  earl  St.  Vincent  might  view  the  affair  of 
L'Uuite  at  Gibraltar,  the  principal  ministers  of  government  looked 
upon  it  as  an  untoward  act. 

"  What  I"  said  George  Manson,  "  have  they  not  kept  the 
French  frigate,  and  do  they  disavow  the  captor  ?  I  have  got 
Lord  St.  Vincent's  promise  in  my  pocket,  and  am  determined  to 
show  it  to  his  lordship,  and  would  do  so  this  moment  if  I  could 
get  at  him.     However,  I  will  try  once  more." 

So  the  next  day  George  Manson  was  seen  in  close  confab 
with  the  porter  at  the  Admiralty;  who,  moved  with  compassion 
at  the  recital  of  his  sufferings,  and  yielding  to  a  persuasive  golden 
argument  practised  in  those  venal  times,  took  our  hero's  card  for 
the  last  time.  But  vain  was  the  attempt — a  positive  refusal  was 
given.  This  was  a  thunderbolt  to  his  hopes  !  What  was  to  be 
done  ?  Aye,  there  was  the  rub.  jMost  men  under  similar  cir- 
cumstances, would  have  done  "a  deed  of  dreadful  note."  Not  so 
our  hero — he  was  made  of  sterner  stuff — he  set  about  finding  out 
the  day  his  lordship  was  to  have  a  party  j  and  having  succeeded 
in  learning  that  Earl  St.  Vincent  was  to  give  a  grand  entertain- 


DARING  EXPLOIT  OF  BRITISH  SAILORS.  121 


meut  and  ball  upon  an  appointed  day,  he  therefore  made  prepa- 
rations for  being  there  also. 

Accordingly,  he  is  seen  stepping  from  a  carriage,  on  the 
evening  in  question,  at  his  lordship's  residence,  dressed  as  a 
lieutenant  in  full  uniform.  Up  went  Lieutenant  Manson's  name, 
and  up  ho  wended  his  way  along  the  crowded  staircase,  and  with 
firm  step  entered  the  suite  of  rooms  filled  by  the  elite  of  the  town, 
and,  after  some  difficulty,  which  he  declared  was  worse  than 
boarding  the  Frenchman,  found  himself  in  the  presence  of  .the 
veteran  earl. 

''Have  you  brought  despatches,  sir?"  said  the  earl. 

"  No  :  but  I  have  brought  your  lordship  a  letter,  which  I 
now  have  the  honour  to  present." 

"  Why,  it  is  from  myself !" 

"  Yes,  my  lord ;  and  I  am  come  to  receive  the  fulfilment  of 
the  promise  contained  therein." 

His  lordship  looked  again  at  the  letter,  and  then,  with  a 
fixed  look,  said  to  Greorge  Manson,  "  call  sir,  at  the  Admiralty 
to-morrow,  and  there  receive  your  lieutenant's  commission  !" 

The  promptness  of  his  lordship's  reply  fixed  G-eorge  Manson 
like  a  statue.  A  gush  of  tears  came  to  his  relief,  and  he  was 
soon  restored  to  his  senses  by  finding  himself  pressed  on  all  sides 
with  congratulations  on  his  well-merited  promotion  (for  the  earl 
had  whispered  his  history  in  a  few  words.)  Thus  he  joined  in 
the  festivities  of  the  evening,  and  the  next  day  George  Manson 
was  seen,  with  elastic  step  and  joyful  countenance,  leaving  the 
Admiralty  with  his  commission  in  his  pocket,  as  Lieutenant  of 
H.  M.  sloop  Moselle,  in  January,  1805. 


11 


TIM. 


LIFE    IN   IRELAND. 


>  Since,  Witu 


1)n  a  fino  bright  August  morning,  ?o\v.e  t 
my  trusty  Mantoii   in  my  ijnnd,  and  nc'com,  -y  a  favourite 

setter,  I  str-jHe;!  up  the  mountain,  whicli  overhung  a  friend's 
shooting  lodge  in  Connehiara.  For  some  time,  i  was  tolerably 
successful  in  my  sport;  bird  after  bird  sprang- n:-.  from  the  heather, 
only  to  find  its  way  into  my  capacious  pockets;  and  i)y  twelve 
o'clock  I  fnind  I  had  secured  more  game  than  I  could  well  stow 
away.  Cursing  my  want  of  forethought,  which  had  prevented 
toe  from  accepting  the  services  of  J'.t  least  one  of  the  dozen  lazy 
(122) 


LIFE  IN  IRELAND.  123 


liangers-on  at  tlie  lodge,  I  determined  on  retracing  my  footsteps, 
with  what  feelings  I  leave  it  to  my  brother  sportsmen  to 
decide. 

Fortune,  however,  had  better  luck  in  store  for  me.  I  had 
not  moved  ten  yards  from  the  spot  where  I  had  been 
standing,  when  a  thin  blue  wreath  of  smoke,  curling  over  the 
shoulder  of  a  mountain  far  away  to  the  right,  attracted  my  atten- 
tion. Certain,  now,  of  discovering  some  house  where  I  might 
deposit  my  spoil,  and  obtain  shelter  from  the  heat  which  was  be- 
coming intense,  I  drew  my  shot-belt  tighter  around  me,  and 
shouldering  my  gun,  pushed  briskly  forward — now  plunging  to 
the  hips  in  the  tall  heather,  now  threading  my  way  through  a 
morass — till,  after  half-an-hour's  hard  work,  I  reached  a  small 
low  cabin  at  the  top  of  a  narrow  glen,  and  out  of  the  chimney  of 
which  the  smoke  was  pouring  in  considerable  volumes. 

I  had  been  long  enough  in  Connemara  to  more  than  half 
suspect  I  had  come  unawares  on  an  illicit  still ;  indeed  the  day 
before,  I  had  heard  there  was  one  in  full  operation  somewhere  in 
these  mountains,  so  without  farther  ceremony  than  the  usual  Irish 
benediction  of  'God  save  all  here'  (to  which  the  over-scrupulous 
add,  '  except  the  cat,')  I  pushed  open  the  door  and  entered  the 
cabin. 

A  tall,  fine-looking  girl,  whom  I  immediately  recognized  as 
an  old  acquaintance,  having  frequently  seen  her  at  the  lodge,  was 
seated  on  a  low  stool  in  the  centre  of  the  apartment,  while  a 
stout,  middle-aged  countryman,  dressed  in  a  long  frieze  coat  and 
knee  breeches,  but  without  shoes  or  stockings,  was  on  his  knees 
in  a  corner  blowing  away  with  a  pair  of  old  bellows  at  a  turf  fire, 
on  which  hung  what  appeared  to  my  uninitiated  eyes  an  immense 
pot.  My  sudden  entrance  evidently  startled  him  not  a  little,  for, 
springing  to  his  feet,  he  grasped  a  stout  blackthorn  stick  that  lay 
beside  him,  and  stared  at  me  for  a  moment  with  a  countenance 
in  which  fear  and  rage  were  curiously  blended.  Not  so  the  girl. 
She  rose  from  her  seat  and  welcomed  me  to  the  cabin,  with  that 
gay,  frank,  and  peculiarly  Irish  hospitality,  which,  i'll  be  sworn, 


124  LIFE  IN  IRELAND. 


has  gladdened  the  heart  of  many  a  weary  sportsman  like 
myself. 

"  A,  thin,  bud  yer  honour's  welcome.  It's  happy  and  proud 
we  are  to  see  you.  Tim,  you  unmannerly  thief,  what  are  you 
starin'  for,  as  if  ye  seen  the  gauger  ?  Don't  ye  see  the  master's 
frind  standin'  foreninst  you  ?  and  yer  caubeen  on  your  head,  ye 
amathaun !" 

Tim  doffed  his  hat  with  much  reverence.  He  "  axed  my 
honour's  pardon ;.  but  the  thievin'  gangers  wor  gettin'  so  plenty, 
that  a  poor  boy  could  hardly  get  done  a  hand's  turn  without 
havin'  them  on  his  tracks." 

I  looked  at  the  fellow  as  he  spoke.  There  was  none  of  that  bru- 
tal, debauched  look  about  him  which  distinguishes  the  English 
law-breaker.  On  the  contrary,  he  was  a  very  fair  specimen  of  an 
Irish  peasant;  and,  as  I  examined  his  honest,  manly  countenance, 
I  could  not  help  feeling  strong  misgivings  as  to  the  righteousness 
of  the  excise  laws.  Whether  this  feeling  was  caused  by  the  de- 
licious smell  of  the  'potheen'  that  pervaded  the  room,  I  leave  to 
the  charitably  disposed  reader  to  decide. 

Meantime,  a  bottle  tilled  with  the  aforesaid  potheen  was 
placed  on  the  table  by  the  girl,  and  consigning  my  Manton  to  a 
corner  and  emptying  my  pockets  on  the  dresser,  I  speedily  came 
to  the  conclusion  that  there  are  worse  places  than  an  Irish  still- 
house  for  a  tired  sportsman  to  rest  in. 

I  had  hardly  drained  the  first  glass  to  the  health  of  my  fair 
hostess,  when  a  little  ragged,  sunburnt  gossoon  rushed  into  the 
cabin,  and,  clasping  his  hands  above  his  head,  broke  out  into  the 
most  unearthly  yell  I  ever  heard. 

"  Och  !  wirr-as-thrue,  murder ! — och  hone  !  och  hone  !  Save 
yourselves  for  the  sake  of  the  blessed  Vargin  !  "We're  sowld ! — 
the  peelers  are  an  us  !" 

Tim  jumped  from  his  seat  as  he  spoke,  and,  seizing  him  by 
the  collar,  shook  him  violently, — "  Who  ?  what  ? — How  many  is 
in  it  ?  Spake,  you  young  reprobate,  or,  by  Jabers,  I'll  make  short 
work  of  you!" 

"  There's  two  ! — bad  luck  to  them  !"  sobbed  out  the  poor  boy. 


LIFE  IN  IRELAND.    *  125 


"They  kem  round  the  priest's  pass,  and  were  an  me  afore  I  could 
bless  myself." 

"Then  the  devil  resave  the  drop  of  sparits  they'll  seize  there 
to-day  !"  said  Tim,  as  his  eye  fell  on  my  double-barrel  that  was 
leaniufi:  acrainst  the  wall  beside  me. 

"Come,  my  fine  fellow,"  I  cried,  "that  won't  do.  I'll  do  what 
I  can  for  you.     But  you  had  better  not  try  that." 

We  had  no  time  for  further  parley,  for  the  next  moment  the 
heavy  tramp  of  footsteps  was  heard  without,  and  two  revenue 
policemen,  with  fixed  bayonets,  entered  the  cabin. 

"  A  purty  mornin's  work  you  have  made  of  it,  Misther  Con- 
nolly," said  the  foremost  of  the  pair,  "but  a  mighty  expensive 
one,  I'm  thinkin.'  Long  threatnin'  comes  at  last.  I  towld  you 
I'd  be  on  your  thrack  afore  long,  and  I've  kept  my  word.  Guard 
the  door  Jim,  and  let  no  one  pass  out." 

"  An'  I  towld  you,"  said  Tim,  his  face  darkening  as  he  spoke 
— "  I  towld  you  I'd  be  even  wid  you  for  what  ye  did  to  poor 
Hugh  Connor.  So  pass  on  your  way,  and  lave  me  and  mine  alone, 
or  it  '11  be  the  worst  job  ever  you  put  a  hand  in." 

"  I  must  first  see  what  3-ou  have  on  the  fire,  my  good  lad,"  said 
the  man  :  "  so  make  way  there,  in  the  queen's  name." 

"  It  ill  becomes  the  like  of  ye  to  have  the  queen's  name  in 
yer  mouth,  ye  dirty  informer,"  said  Tim.  "  So  pass  on  yer  way 
— I  say  again — or  the  divil  a  bit  of  this  world's  bread  ever 
you  '11  cat." 

"  We  '11  try  that  presently,"  said  the  policeman,  coolly :  "Jim, 
keep  an  eye  on  the  girl  that  she  doesn't  bolt  on  ye — she's  as 
cunnin'  as  a  fox." 

So  saying,  and  lowering  his  carbine,  he  attempted  to  pass  Tim, 
but  in  doing  so,  he  evidently  reckoned  without  his  host,  for,  with 
a  shout  like  a  Delaware  Indian,  Tim  sprang  within  his  guard  and 
seizing  him  by  the  collai",  in  a  second  both  men  were  rolling  over 
on  the  ground,  grappling  one  another  like  two  bull-dogs. 

My  hostess,  like  myself,  had  iitherto  remained  an  inactive 
spectator;  but  she  now  evidently  determined  not  to  let  them 
have  all  the  fun  to  themselves,  for,  taking  up  a  pair  of  heavy 

II* 


126  LIFE  IN  IRELAND. 


iron  tongs,  she  would  soon,  no  doubt,  have  made  a  considerable 
diversion  in  Tim's  favour,  had  not  the  other  policeman  jumped 
forward  and  caught  her  by  the  wrist. 

"  So  that's  yer  game,  is  it,  my  lady  ?  then  I'll  take  the  liberty 
of  fittin'  you  wid  a  pair  of  bracelets,'^  producing  at  the  same 
time  a  pair  of  hand-cuffs  which  he  attempted  to  force  on 
her  wrists;  but  the  girl  struggled  desperately,  and,  in  doing 
so,  must  have  irritated  him  greatly,  for  the  ruffian  struck  her  a 
heavy  blow  with  his  closed  fist. 

My  blood  was  now  fairly  up,  and  grasping  my  gun  I  inserted 
the  butt-end  under  the  fellow's  ribs,  and  dashed  him  into  the 
corner;  where  his  head  striking  heavily  against  the  sharp  edge 
of  a  table,  he  lay  apparently  insensible. 

"  Run  for  it,  Master  Harry — never  mind  Tim — run  or  you  '11 
be  cotched  I"  shouted  Mary,  as  she  vanished  out  of  the  back 
door,  while  I  bolted  at  the  front.  The  ringing  sound  of  a  stick 
against  the  policeman's  shako,  telling  me,  as  I  went,  that  Tim's 
blackthorn  was  doing  i^  office. 

I  had  got  about  fifty  yards  up  the  mountain,  when  I  turned  and 
witnessed  a  sight  I  shall  not  easily  forget.  I  have  mentioned 
before  that  the  cabin  was  built  at  the  top  of  a  glen,  between 
two  mountains.  Down  this  glen  bounded  Tim  with  the  speed  of 
a  hunted  stag,  his  long  frieze  coat  streaming  in  the  wind  behind 
him,  while  the  worm  (the  only  valuable  part  of  the  apparatus) 
was  bobbing  up  and  down  over  his  shoulder,  keeping  time  to  the 
motion  of  his  bare  legs,  which  were  taking  the  ground  along  with 
them  at  an  awful  pace.  In  front  of  the  cabin  was  his  antagonist 
ramming  a  cartridge  down  his  carbine,  with  unmistakeable  energy, 
which  the  moment  he  had  accomplished,  he  fired  slap  after  the 
caubeen,  but  the  ball  only  tore  up  the  ground  some  yards  to  his 
right,  and  with  a  yell  of  triumph  I  saw  Tim  disappear  round  the 
corner  of  the  glen. 

It  was  late  in  the  evening,  when  tired  and  travel-stained,  I 
entered  the  dining-room  at  the  lodge,  where  I  found  a  largo 
party  assembled. 

"  Harry,  my  boy,"  said  my  friend,  "  we  had  given  you  up  in 


LIFE  IN  IRELAND. 


127 


despair.  Ellcu  in.siited  you  had  fallen  over  a  precipice,  or  were 
drowned  in  a  bog-bole,  or  something  of  the  kind.  You  look 
tired  too,"  filling  me  a  tumbler  of  claret  as  he  spoke ;  "  there, 
now,  take  off  that." 

I  never  was  remarkable  for  setting  the  table  in  a  roar ;  but, 
on  this  occasion,  if  Theodore  Hook  himself  had  been  relating  my 
adventure  I  doubt  whether  he  could  have  succeeded  better  than 
I  did  myself,  and  the  old  oak  ceiling  rang  again,  as  my  friend 
starting  up  and  pointing  to  a  short,  punchy,  red-faced  little  man, 
said : — 

"  Let  me  introduce  you  to  Lieutenant  Cassidy,  late  of  H.  M's. 
88th  regiment,  and  now  commander  of  the  Clifden  revenue 
police  " 

"And  an  officer,"  said  the  lieutenant,  bowing,  "who  would  be 
sorry  to  interfere  with  any  gentleman's  diversions,  even  if  he 
chose  to  break  the  heads  of  every  scoundrel  in  the  squad.  The 
only  thing  I  would  recommen  1,"  he  added,  lowering  his  voice  as 
he  spoke,  "is  change  of  air;  after  your  praiseworthy  exertions 
this  morning,  I  am  sure  it  would  be  of  service." 


AN  IRTSII  PEASANT  GIRL 


ss-ife;    "'^■"'' 


N 


:^ 


HIGHLAND   SPORT. 


r  If  i--  ■  /    fr- 


''«»(^/;- 


■  Wljttl 


It  was  a  September  morning  that 
we  rode    our    pony  (liight    Glenelg 

/v^"/-  .  ^     from  the  country  of  hi:?   breeding) 

7v%v*  .-^.^^■Ai^!     _jj      to  the  highest  farm-house  in  Aber- 

nethy,  where  we  left  him  to  wait 
our  return.  Two  active  Lids,  sons 
of  the  tenant,  were  delighted  to  ac- 
company us,  and  we  were  on  our  march  when  the  day  was  still 
early.  In  t!in«e  days,  tho  lower  part  of  the  glen  of  Nethy  was 
too  n.uk  hcutl.er  for  g;\'use  ;  and  for  miles  we  passed  over, 
scai'cely  letting  our  dogs  hunt  it.  Towards  evening  we  fell 
among  scvorn'!  "■^•^(1  f"-<vf^ys,  and  had  abundance  of  sport,  and 
more  than  the  gillies  liked  to  carry,  befcmj  we  struck  the  waters 
(128) 


HIGIILANDEKS. 


P.  128. 


HIGHLAND   SPORT.  129 


that  run  to  tlie  Awn.  But  our  object  was  other  game,  and  we 
were  glad  to  find  ourselves  getting  among  the  ptarmigan  as 
nicht  fell.  A  council  was  held  to  deliberate  where  we  should 
sleep.  We  om-sclves  inclined  for  the  Clach-ean,  the  shelter-stone 
on  the  rocky  bank  of  Loch  Awn.  But  it  was  easy  to  see  our 
proposal  was  most  distasteful  to  the  natives.  It  is  well  enough 
known  that  the  shelter-stone  is  under  the  peculiar  charge  of  the 
fairy  people  of  Glen  Awn,  who  are  pretty  hospitable  when  a 
shepherd  or  deer-stalker  is  driven  there  by  stress  of  weather,  but 
will  not  tolerate  any  wanton  attempt  to  encroach  upon  their  pro- 
tection. We  have  since  that  time  passed  a  night  there.  But 
then,  the  cautious  councils  prevailed,  and  our  party  turned  a  lit- 
tle eastward,  and  made,  as  it  got  quite  dark,  a  shealing  which 
the  shepherds  of  Glen  Awn  use  for  a  few  months  in  summer, 
situated  almost  at  the  highest  "forking"  of  Awn,  and,  so  far  as  we 
know,  the  highest  inhabited  house  that  night  in  Britain.  It  was 
a  hut  of  green  sod,  with  a  roof  of  thin  black  turf.  The  walls  were 
not  above  three  feet  high,  and  one  required  to  enter  as  you  do  into 
the  galleries  of  the  pyramids.  Having  crept  in,  we  were  heartily 
welcomed  by  the  shepherds,  and  after  eating  our  supper  together, 
(to  which  they  contributed  a  piece  of  "mutton'^  marvellously 
like  venison,)  and' when  we  had  reconciled  their  thin  active  dogs 
to  our  tired  pointers,  having  a  share  of  the  heather  in  the  corner, 
we  lay  down  in  our  plaids  round  the  fire  of  bog-fir  and  heather- 
roots,  which  smouldered  in  the  midst  of  the  hovel.  The  weather 
had  changed  in  the  course  of  the  night,  and  one  of  our  party 
awoke  with  a  feeling  of  intense  cold.  He  trimmed  the  fire,  and 
threw  upon  it  a  bundle  of  wet  heather,  which  produced  at  first  only 
smoke.  He  had  thrust  his  feet  towards  the  fire,  and  was  again 
asleep,  when  we  were  aroused  by  a  shout  of  "  fire,"  and  found 
on  springing  up,  the  roof  of  the  bothy  in  a  light  blaze,  caught 
from  the  heather  thrown  on  the  fire  blazing  up  as  it  dried.  To 
riish  out  was  the  first  impulse.  It  was  snowing,  and  the  roof 
was  covered  with  a  thin  coat  of  snow,  which  had  no  efi'ect  in 
checking  the  fire.  The  burn  ran  close  by,  and  with  our  bonnets 
we  laved  up  water  on  the  low  roof,  and  soon  got  the  fire  extin- 


130  HIGHLAND  SPORT. 


guished,  but  at  the  expense  of  leaving  a  little  lake  to  fill  tho 
place  so  lately  occupied  by  cur  bccis.  This  was  uncomfortable 
enough,  and  as  we  sat  under  the  roof,  which  still  sheltered  us 
from  the  snow,  longing  for  daylight,  we  formed  certain  vows 
against  being  caught  bivouacking  again  on  the  "  burn  of  the 
Carouries."  The  night  had  an  end,  and  v.'e  sallied  out  prepared 
to  yield  to  fate  and  the  weather,  and  to  make  for  the  low  country, 
when  the  snow  suddenl}'-  ceased  falling.  The  sun,  not  yet  risen 
above  o.ur  horizon,  began  to  tinge  with  rose  the  white  cairn  of 
Cairngorm.  Then  top  after  top  caught  the  glow,  till  the  whole 
mountains  round  shone  in  glorious  light.  Coming  from  that 
dark  smoky  cabin,  the  change  was  magical.  It  was  perfectly 
still :  even  on  the  highest  cliffs  there  was  not  a  breath.  As  wc 
walked  forward,  the  ptarmigan  crowed  and  rose  at  our  feet. 
Taking  up  our  dogs,  we  began  shooting,  and  had  several  hours 
of  very  fine  sport.  The  birds  when  found  were  'generally  down 
on  the  white  moss  beside  the  little  streams  that  intersect  it;  but 
on  being  flushed,  they  took  short  flights  and  lighted  on  the  steep 
carries,  often  within  sight,  so  that  "  marking  "  was  of  as  much 
importance  as  in  a  day  of  Norfolk  partridge-shooting.  In  that  our 
"  henchman  "  excelled,  and  also  in  directing  our  approaches  to 
the  game  when  marked.  It  would  be  a  nervous  sort  of  climbing 
in  other  circumstances,  but  with  the  gam.e  before  him,  a  man 
thinks  little  of  the  danger,  and  really  incurs  less  from  not  think- 
ing. Before  the  weather  changed,  which  it  did  at  mid-day,  our 
bag  was  well  fiUcd.  We  have  seen  many  a  fine  day  round  the 
black  rocks  of  Loch  Awn  and  on  the  side  of  Cairngorm  ;  but 
that  morning  rests  the  brightest  in  our  memory. 

It  is  to  the  varied  sports  afforded  by  this  wide  region  of  mooi 
and  mountain,  lake  and  river,  that  we  would  now  introduce  such 
of  our  readers  as  do  not  scorn  our  guidance. 

In  truth,  the  superiority  of  deer-stalking  over  other  sports  lies 
in  its  calling  forth  and  putting  to  the  test  the  highest  qualifica- 
tions of  a  sportsman.  To  hope  to  succeed  in  it,  a  man  must  be 
of  good  constitution,  patient  of  toil,  cold,  hunger,  and  all  hard- 
ship, and  not  to  be  discouraged  by  ill-success.     He  must  be  ac- 


HIGH  LAND  sroiiT.  131 


tivo  and  quick  of  foot  j  he  must  have  a  keen  eye  and  steady 
hand,  and  unshaken  nerves;  but,  bringing  all  these  preliminary 
qualifications,  the  young  deer-stalker  must  still  further  Icaru  to 
know  the  nature  of  the  ground  and  the  habits  of  the  animal ;  he 
is  to  contend  against  the  lord  of  the  mountain.  The  red-deer  is 
unmatched  in  strength,  and  speed,  and  endurance ;  he  is  very 
watchful;  his  sight  is  perfect;  his  hearing  perfect;  his  sense 
of  smell  so  acute  that  it  detects  the  taint  of  a  human  enemy  on 
the  wind  at  the  distance  of  miles.  It  is  against  these  qualities 
and  instincts,  in  a  region  best  suited  for  their  display,  the  deer- 
stalker has  to  match  himself;  and  it  is  no  inglorious  triumph 
for  human  reason  if  he  has  the  superiority.  We  think  the  indi- 
vidual exertion,  the  perseverance  and  sagacity,  necessary  for  suc- 
cess when  the  devotee  goes  forth,  single-handed,  are  Avcll  shown 
iu  a  few  pages  from  a  journal  of  a  sportsman  to  which  we  have 
had  access.  We  have  used  the  liberty  of  abridging  it,  but  have 
neither  added  nor  altered  any  thing  of  the  sense,  and  can  vouch 
fur  its  being  literal!}^  and  wholly  true.  At  the  time  of  the 
iidvcntures  described,  the  writer  was  a  very  young  man,  fresh 
from  a  London  life;  but  he  was  "come  of  a  good  kind,^'  and 
took  to  the  rough  doings  of  the  mountain  life  with  that  hearty 
enthusiasm  and  resolution  not  to  be  beat,  which  we  think  charac- 
teristic of  Englishmen  : — 

"  Sundai/. — This  evening,  Malcolm,  the  shepherd  of  the 
fehealing  at  the  foot  of  Beumorc,  returning  from  church,  reported 
his  having  crossed  in  the  hill  a  track  of  a  hart  of  extraordinary 
size.  He  guessed  it  mu.st  be  '  the  muckle  stag  of  Benmore,'  an 
animal  that  wa.s  seldom  seen,  but  had  long  been  the  talk  and 
marvel  of  the  shepherds  for  its  wonderful  size  and  cunning. 
They  love  the  marvellous,  and  in  their  report  '  the  muckle  stag ' 
bore  a  charmed  life  ;  he  was  unapproachable  and  invulnerable. 
£  had  heard  of  him  too;  and  having  taken  my  information, 
resolved  to  adventure  to  break  the  charm,  though  it  should  cost 
me  a  day  or  two. 

"  Monday. — This  morning's  sunrise  saw  me  with  my  rifle, 
Donald  carrying  my  double  barrel,  and  Bran,  on  our  way  up  the 


132  HIGHLAND   SPORT. 


glen  to  the  shealing  at  the  foot  of  Benmore.  Donald  is  a  small 
wiry  old  Highlander,  somewhat  sleepy  in  appearance,  except 
when  game  is  in  sight,  but  whose  whole  figure  changes  when 
a  deer  comes  in  view.  I  must  confess,  however,  he  had  no  heart 
for  this  expedition.  He  is  not  addicted  to  superfluous  conversa- 
tion, but  I  heard  him  mutter  something  of  a  '  feckless  errand — 
as  good  deer  nearer  hame/  Bran  is  a  favourite ;  he  is  a  sort  of 
lurcher — a  cross  between  a  high-bred  highland  staghound  and  a 
bloodhound  ;  not  extremely  fast,  but  untiring,  and  of  courage  to 
face  any  thing  on  four  legs — already  the  victor  in  many  a  bloody 
tussle  with  hart  and  fox.  We  held  generally  up  the  glen,  but 
turning  and  crossing  to  seek  every  likely  corrie  and  burn  on  both 
sides.  I  shot  a  wild  cat,  stealing  home  to  its  cairn  in  the  early 
morning ;  and  we  several  times  through  the  day  came  on  deer, 
but  they  were  hinds  with  their  calves,  and  I  was  bent  on  higher 
game.  As  night  fell,  we  turned  down  to  the  shealing  rather 
disheartened ;  but  the  shepherd  cheered  me  by  assuring  me  the 
hart  was  still  in  that  district,  and  describing  his  track,  which  he 
said  was  like  that  of  a  good  heifer.  Our  spirits  were  quite 
restored  by  a  meal  of  fresh  caught  trout,  oat-cake  and  milk,  with 
a  modicum  of  whiskey,  which  certainly  was  of  unusual  flavoui 
and  potency. 

"  Tuesday. — We  were  off  again  at  daybreak.  I  must  pass 
several  minor  adventures,  but  one  cannot  be  neglected.  Malcolm 
went  with  us  to  show  where  he  had  last  seen  the  track.  As  we 
crossed  a  long  reach  of  black  and  broken  ground,  the  first  ascent 
from  the  valley,  two  golden  eagles  rose  out  of  a  hollow  at  some 
distance.  Their  flight  was  lazy  and  heavy,  as  if  gorged  with 
food,  and  on  examining  the  place  we  found  the  carcass  of  a  sheep 
half-eaten,  one  of  Malcolm's  flock.  He  vowed  vengeance ;  and, 
merely  giving  us  our  route,  returned  for  a  spade  to  dig  a  place 
of  hiding  near  enough  the  carcass  to  enable  him  to  have  a  shot 
if  the  eagles  should  return.  We  held  on  our  way  and  the  greater 
part  of  the  day  without  any  luck  to  cheer  us,  my  resolution  '  not 
to  be  beat'  a  good  deal  strengthened  by  the  occasional  gi-umbling 
of  Donald.     Towards  afternoon,  when  we  had  tired  ourselves 


HIGHLAND    SPORT.  133 


with  looking  at  every  corrie  in  that  side  of  the  hill  with  our  glasses, 
at  length,  in  crossing  a  bare  and  boggy  piece  of  ground,  Donald 
suddenly  stoj^ped,  with  a  Gaelic  exclamation,  and  pointed — and 
there  to  be  sure,  was  a  full  fresh  foot-print,  the  largest  mark  of 
a  deer  either  of  us  had  ever  seen.  There  was  no  more  grumbling. 
Both  of  us  were  instantly  as  much  on  the  alert  as  when  we 
started  on  our  adventure.  We  traced  the  track  as  long  as  the 
ground  would  allow.  Where  we  lost  it,  it  seemed  to  point  down 
the  little  burn  which  soon  lost  itself  to  our  view  in  a  gorge  of 
bare  rocks.  We  proceeded  now  very  cautiously,  and  taking  up 
our  station  on  a  concealed  ledge  of  one  of  the  rocks,  began  to 
search  the  valley  below  with  our  telescopes.  It  was  a  large  flat, 
strewed  with  huge  slabs  of  stone,  and  surrounded  on  all  sides  but 
one  with  dark  damp  rocks.  At  the  farther  end  were  two  black 
lochs,  connected  by  a  sluggish  stream ; — beside  the  larger  loch, 
a  bit  of  coarse  grass  and  rushes,  where  we  could  distinguish  a 
brood  of  wild  ducks  swimming  in  and  out.  It  was  difficult 
ground  to  see  a  deer,  if  lying  ;  and  I  had  almost  given  up  seeking, 
when  Donald's  glass  became  motionless,  and  he  gave  a  sort  of 
grunt  as  he  hitched  on  his  belly,  without  taking  the  glass  from 
his  eye.  '  Ugh  !  I'm  thinking  yon's  him,  sir  :  I'm  seeing  his 
horns.'  I  was  at  first  incredulous.  What  he  showed  me  close 
to  the  long  grass  I  have  mentioned,  looked  for  all  the  world  like 
some  withered  sticks;  but  the  doubt  was  short.  While  we  gazed, 
he  rose  and  commenced  feeding;  and  at  last  I  saw  the  great  hart 
of  Bcnmore  !  lie  was  a  long  way  off,  perhaps  a  mile  and  a  half, 
but. in  excellent  ground  for  getting  at  him.  Our  plan  was  soon 
made.  I  was  to  stalk  him  with  the  rifle,  while  Donald,  with  my 
gun  and  Bran,  was  to  get  round  out  of  sight,  to  the  pass  by 
which  the  deer  was  likely  to  leave  the  valley.  My  task  was 
apparently  very  easy.  After  getting  down  behind  the  rock,  I  had 
scarcely  to  stoop  my  head,  but  to  walk  up  within  shot,  so  favour- 
able was  the  ground  and  the  wind.  I  walked  cautiously,  how- 
ever, and  slow,  to  give  Donald  time  to  reach  the  pass.  I  was 
now  within  three  hundred  yards  of  him,  when,  as  I  leant  against 
a  slab  of  stone,  all  hid  below  my  eyes,  I  saw  him  give  a  sudden 

12 


134  IIlGuLAXD  SrORT. 


start,  stop  feeding,  and  look  round  suspiciously.  What  a  noble 
beast !  what  a  stretch  of  antler  !  with  a  mane  like  a  lion  !  He 
stood  for  a  minute  or  two  snuffing  every  breath.  I  could  not 
guess  the  cause  of  his  alarm;  it  was  not  myself;  the  light  wind 
blew  fair  down  from  him  upon  me.  I  knew  Donald  would  give 
him  no  inkling  of  his  whereabouts.  He  presently  began  to 
move,  and  came  at  a  slow  trot  directly  towards  me.  My  pulse 
beat  high.  Another  hundred  yards  forward,  and  he  is  mine  ! 
But  it  was  not  to  be  so.  He  took  the  top  of  a  steep  bank  which 
commanded  my  position,  and  he  saw  me  in  an  instant,  and  was 
off,  at  the  speed  of  twenty  miles  an  hour,  to  a  pass  wide  from 
that  where  Donald  was  hid.  While  clattering  up  the  hill,  scat- 
tering the  loose  stones  behind  him,  two  other  stags  joined  him, 
who  had  evidently  been  put  up  by  Donald,  and  had  given  the 
alarm  to  my  quarry.  It  was  then  that  his  great  size  was  con- 
spicuous. I  could  see  with  my  glass  they  were  full-grown  stags, 
and  with  good  heads,  but  they  looked  like  fallow-deer  as  they 
followed  him  up  the  crag.  I  sat  down  disappointed  for  the 
moment;  and  Donald  soon  joined  me,  much  crest-fallen,  and 
cursing  the  stag  in  a  curious  variety  of  Gaelic  oaths.  Still  it 
was  something  to  have  seen  <  the  muckle  stag,'  and  nil  desperan- 
dum  was  my  motto.  We  had  a  long  and  weary  walk  to  Mal- 
colm's shealing;  and  I  was  glad  to  get  to  my  heather  bed,  after 
arranging  that  I  should  occupy  the  hut  Malcolm  had  prepared 
near  the  dead  sheep  next  morning. 

"  Wednesday. — We  were  up  an  hour  before  daylight — and  in 
a  very  dark  morning  I  sallied  out  with  Malcolm  to  take  my  sta- 
tion for  a  shot  at  the  eagles.  Many  a  stumble  and  slip  I  made 
during  our  walk,  but  at  last  I  was  left  alone  fairly  ensconced, 
and  hidden  in  the  hut,  which  gave  me  hardly  room  to  stand,  sit, 
or  lie.  My  position  was  not  very  comfortable,  and  the  air  was 
nipping  cold  just  before  the  break  of  day.  It  was  still  scarcely 
grey  dawn  when  a  bird,  with  a  slow,  flapping  flight,  passed  the 
opening  of  my  hut,  and  lighted  out  of  sight,  but  near,  for  I  heard 
him  strike  the  ground ;  and  my  heart  beat  faster.  What  was 
my  disappointment  when  his  low  crowing  croak  announced  thu 


HIGHLAND  SPORT.  135 


raven  !  and  presently  he  came  in  sight^  hopping  and  walking 
suspiciously  round  the  sheep,  till  supposing  the  coast  clear,  and 
i'ittle  wotting  of  the  double-barrel,  ho  hopped  upon  the  carcass, 
and  began,  with  his  square  cut-and-thrust  beak,  to  dig  at  the 
meat.  Another  raven  soon  joined  him,  and  then  two  more,  who, 
after  a  kind  of  parley,  quite  intelligible,  though  in  an  unknown 
tongue,  were  admitted  to  their  share  of  the  banquet.  I  was 
watching  their  voracious  meal  with  some  interest,  when  suddenly 
they  set  up  a  croak  of  alarm,  stopped  feeding,  and  all  turned 
their  knowing-looking  eyes  in  one  direction.  At  that  moment  I 
heard  a  sharp  scream,  but  very  distant.  The  black  party  heard 
it  too,  and  instantly  darted  oft',  alighting  again  at  a  little  distance. 
Next  moment,  a  rushing  noise,  and  a  large  body  passed  close  to 
me  ;  and  the  monarch  of  the  clouds  lighted  at  once  on  the  sheep, 
with  his  broad  breast  not  fifteen  yards  from  me.  He  quietly 
folded  up  his  wings,  and  throwing  back  his  magnificent  head, 
looked  round  at  the  ravens,  as  if  wondering  at  their  impudence 
in  approaching  his  breakfast  table.  They  kept  a  respectful 
silence,  and  hopped  a  little  further  oft".  The  royal  bird  then 
turned  his  head  in  my  direction,  attracted  by  the  change  of  the 
ground  which  he  had  just  noticed  in  the  dim  morning  light. 
His  bright  eye  that  instant  caught  mine  as  it  glanced  along  the 
barrel.  He  rose  ;  as  he  rose  I  drew  the  trigger,  and  he  fell  quite 
dead  half  a  dozen  yards  from  the  sheep.  I  followed  Malcolm's 
directions,  who  had  predicted  that  one  eagle  would  be  followed 
by  a  second,  and  remained  quiet,  in  hopes  that  his  mate  was  not 
within  hearing  of  my  shot.  The  morning  was  brightening,  and 
I  had  not  waited  many  minutes  when  I  saw  the  other  eagle 
skimming  low  over  the  brow  of  the  hill  towards  me.  She  did 
not  light  at  once.  Her  eye  caught  the  change  in  the  ground  or 
the  dead  body  of  her  mate,  and  she  wheeled  up  into  the  air.  I 
thought  her  lost  to  me,  when  presently  I  heard  her  wings  brush 
close  over  my  head,  and  then  she  went  wheeling  round  and  round 
above  the  dead  bird,  and  turning  her  head  downwards  to  make 
out  what  had  happened.  At  times  she  stooped  so  low,  I  saw  the 
(Sparkle  of  her  eye  and  hoavl  her  low  complaining  cry.   I  watched 


136  HIGHLAND  SPORT. 


the  time  when  she  turned  up  her  wing  towards  me,  and  fired, 
and  dropped  her  actually  on  the  body  of  the  other.  1  now  rushed 
out.  The  last  bird  immediately  rose  to  her  feet,  and  stood  gaz- 
ing at  me  with  a  reproachful  half-threatening  look.  She  would 
have  done  battle,  but  death  was  busy  with  her,  and,  as  I  was 
loading  in  haste,  she  reeled  and  fell  perfectly  dead.  Eager  as  I 
had  been  to  do  the  deed.  I  could  not  look  on  the  royal  birds 
without  a  pang.  But  such  regrets  were  now  too  late.  Passing 
over  the  Shepherd's  rejoicing,  and  my  incredible  breakfast,  we 
must  get  forward  in  our  own  great  adventure.  Our  line  of  march 
to-day  was  over  ground  so  high  that  we  came  repeatedly  in  the 
midst  of  ptarmigan.  On  the  very  summit  Bran  had  a  rencontre 
with  an  old  mountain  fox,  toothless,  yet  very  fat,  whom  he  made 
to  bite  the  dust.  We  struck  at  one  place  the  tracks  of  the  three 
deer,  but  of  themselves  we  saw  nothing.  ^Ye  kept  exploring 
corrie  after  corrie,  till  night  fell ;  and  as  it  was  in  vain  to  think 
of  returning  to  the  shealing,  which  yet  was  the  nearest  roof,  we 
were  content  to  find  a  sort  of  niche  in  the  rock,  tolerably  screened 
from  all  winds ;  and  having  almost  filled  it  with  long  heather, 
flower  up,  we  wrapped  our  plaids  around  us,  and  slept  pretty 
comfortably. 

"  Thursday. — A  dip  in  the  burn  below  our  bivouac  renovated 
me.  I  did  not  observe  that  Donald  followed  my  example  in 
that ;  but  he  joined  me  in  a  hearty  attack  on  the  viands  that 
still  remained  in  our  bag;  and  we  started  with  renewed  courage. 
About  mid-day  we  came  on  a  shealing  beside  a  long  narrow  loch, 
frino-ed  with  beautiful  weeping  birches,  and  there  we  found  means 
to  cook  some  grouse  I  had  shot  to  supply  our  exhausted  larder. 
The  shepherd,  who  had  '  no  Sassenach,'  cheered  us  by  his  report 
of  '  the  deer '  being  lately  seen,  and  describing  his  usual  haunts, 
Donald  was  plainly  getting  disgusted  and  home-sick.  For  my- 
self, I  looked  upon  it  as  my  fate  that  I  must  have  that  hart ;  so 
on  we  trudged.  Repeatedly  that  afternoon,  we  came  on  the 
fresh  tracks  of  our  chase,  but  again  he  remained  invisible.  As 
it  got  dark,  the  weather  suddenly  changed,  and  1  was  glad^ 
enough  to  let  Donald  seek  for  the  be^arings  of  a  '  whisky  bothie,' 


HIGHLAND  SPORT.  137 


which  he  had  heard  of  at  our  last  stop.  While  he  was  seeking 
for  it,  the  rain  began  to  fall  heavily,  and  through  the  darkness 
we  were  just  able  to  distinguish  a  dark  object,  which  turned  out 
to  be  a  horse.  '  The  lads  with  the  still  will  not  be  far  off/  said 
Donald.  And  so  it  turned  out.  But  the  rain  had  increased  the 
darkness  so  much,  that  we  should  have  searched  in  vain  if  I  had  not 
distinguished  at  intervals,  between  the  pelting  of  the  rain  and  the 
heavy  rushing  of  a  black  burn  that  ran  beside  us,  what  appeared 
to  me  to  be  the  shrill  treble  of  a  fiddle.  I  could  scarcely  believe 
my  ears.  But  when  I  told  my  ideas  to  Donald,  whose  ears  were 
less  acute,  he  jumped  with  joy.  'It's  all  right  enough;  just 
follow  the  sound ;  it's  that  drunken  deevil,  Sandy  Ross ;  ye'll 
never  baud  a  fiddle  frae  him,  nor  him  frae  a  whisky-still.'  It 
was  clear  the  sound  came  from  across  the  black  stream,  and  it 
looked  formidable  in  the  dark.  However,  there  was  no  remedy. 
So  grasping  each  the  other's  collar,  and  holding  the  guns  high 
over  head,  we  dashed  in,  and  staggered  through  in  safety, 
though  the  water  was  up  to  my  waist,  running  like  a  mill-race, 
and  the  bottom  was  of  round  slippery  stones.  Scrambling  up 
the  bank,  and  following  the  merry  sound,  we  came  to  what 
seemed  a  mere  hole  in  the  bank,  from  which  it  proceeded.  The 
hole  was  partially  closed  by  a  door  woven  of  heather ;  and  look- 
ing through  it,  we  saw  a  sight  worthy  of  Teniers.  On  a  barrel 
in  the  midst  of  the  apartment — half  hut,  half  cavern — stood 
aloft  fiddling  with  all  his  might,  the  identical  Sandy  Ross,  while 
round  him  danced  three  unkempt  savages ;  and  another  figure 
was  stooping  employed  over  a  fire  in  the  corner,  where  the  whisky- 
pot  was  in  full  operation.  The  fire,  and  a  stiver  or  two  of  lighted 
bog -fir,  gave  light  enough  to  see  the  whole,  for  the  place  was  not 
above  ten  feet  square.  We  made  our  approaches  with  becoming 
caution,  and  were,  it  is  needless  to  say,  hospitably  received ;  for 
who  ever  heard  of  Highland  smugglers  refusing  a  welcome  to 
sportsmen  ?  We  got  rest,  food,  and  fire — all  that  we  required — 
and  something  more ;  for  long  after  I  had  betaken  me  to  the  dry 
heather  in  the  corner,  I  had  disturbed  visions  of  strange  orgies 
in  the  bothy,  and  of  my  sober  Donald  exhibiting  curious  antics 


138  HIGHLAND  SPORT. 


on  the  top  of  a  tub.  These  were  perhaps  procluctious  of  a  dis- 
turbed brain  ',  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  when  daylight  awoke 
me,  the  smugglers  and  Donald  were  all  quiet  and  asleep,  far  past 
my  efforts  to  arouse  them,  with  the  exception  of  one  who  was 
still  able  to  tend  the  fire  under  the  large  black  pot. 

"  Friday. — From  the  state  in  which  my  trusty  companion 
was,  with  his  head  in  a  heap  of  ashes,  I  saw  it  would  serve  no 
purpose  if  I  were  able  to  wake  him.  He  could  be  good  for  no- 
thing all  day.  I  therefore  secured  some  breakfast  and  provisions 
for  the  day,  (part  of  them  oat-cake,  which  I  baked  for  myself,) 
tied  up  Bran  to  wait  Donald's  restoration,  and  departed  with  my 
rifle  alone.  The  morning  was  bright  and  beautiful,  the  moun- 
tain streams  overflowing  with  last  night's  rain.  I  was  now 
thrown  on  my  own  resources,  and  my  own  knowledge  of  the 
country,  which,  to  say  the  truth,  was  far  from  minute  or  exact. 
'  Benna-skiach '  was  my  object  to  day,  and  the  corries  which  lay 
beyond  it,  where  at  this  season  the  large  harts  were  said  to  re- 
sort. My  way  at  first  was  dreary  enough,  over  a  long  slope  of 
boggy  ground,  enlivened,  however,  by  a  few  traces  of  deer  hav- 
ing crossed,  though  none  of  my  '  chase.'  I  at  length  passed  the 
slope,  and  soon  topped  the  ridge,  and  was  repaid  for  my  labour 
by  a  view  so  beautiful,  I  sat  down  to  gaze,  and  I  must  even  now 
present  it  to  you,  though  anxious  to  get  forward.  Looking  down 
into  the  valley  before  me,  the  foreground  was  a  confusion  of 
rocks  of  most  fantastic  shape,  shelving  rapidly  to  the  edge  of  a 
small  blue  lake,  the  opposite  shore  of  which  was  a  beach  of 
white  pebbles,  and  beyond  a  stretch  of  the  greenest  pasture, 
dotted  with  dropping  white-stemmed  birches.  This  little  level 
was  hemmed  in  on  all  sides  by  mountains,  ridge  above  ridge,  first 
closely  covered  with  purple  heath,  then  more  green  and  broken 
by  ravines,  and  ending  in  sharp  serrated  peaks  tipped  with  snow. 
Nothing  moved  within  range  of  my  vision,  and  nothing  was  to  be 
Been  that  bespoke  life  but  a  solitary  heron  standing  on  one  leg  in 
the  shallow  water  at  the  upper  end  of  the  lake.  From  hence  I 
took  in  a  good  range,  but  could  see  no  deer.  While  I  lay  above 
the  lake,  the  day  suddenly  changed,  and  heavy  wreaths  of  mist 


HIGHLAND  SPORT.  139 


came  down  the  mountain  sides  in  rapid  succession.  They  reached 
me  soon,  and  ]  was  enclosed  in  an  atmosphere  through  which 
I  could  not  see  twenty  yards.  It  was  very  cold  too,  and  I  was 
obliged  to  move,  though  scarcely  well  knowing  whither.  I  fol- 
lowed the  course  of  the  lake,  and  afterwards  of  the  stream  which 
flowed  from  it,  for  some  time.  Now  and  then  a  grouse  would 
rise  close  to  me,  and  flying  a  few  yards,  light  again  on  a  hillock, 
crowing  and  croaking  at  the  intruder.  The  heron,  in  the  dark- 
ness, came  flapping  his  great  wings  close  past  me  ;  I  almost  fan- 
cied I  could  feel  their  air.  Nothing  could  be  done  in  such 
weather,  and  I  was  not  sure  I  might  not  be  going  away  from  my 
object.  It  was  getting  late  too,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  that 
my  most  prudent  plan  was  to  arrange  a  bivouac  before  it  became 
quite  dark.  My  wallet  was  empty,  except  a  few  crumbs,  the 
remains  of  my  morning's  baking.  It  was  necessary  to  provide 
food;  and  just  as  the.  necessity  occurred  to  me,  I  heard  through 
the  mist  the  call  of  a  cock  grouse  as  he  lighted  close  to  me.  I 
contrived  to  get  his  head  between  me  and  the  sky  as  he  was 
strutting  and  croaking  on  a  hillock  close  at  hand;  and  aiming  at 
where  his  body  ought  to  be,  I  fired  my  rifle.  On  going  up  to 
the  place,  I  fcaiiul  1  had  not  only  killed  him,  but  also  his  mate, 
whom  I  had  not  seen.  It  vi-as  a  commencement  of  good  luck. 
Sitting  down,  I  speedily  skinned  my  birds,  and  took  them  down 
to  the  burn  to  wash  them  before  cooking.  In  crossing  a  sandy 
spot  beside  the  bum,  I  came  upon — could  I  believe  my  eyes? 
— '  the  Track.'  Like  Robinson  Cru!50e  in  the  same  circumstances, 
I  started  back,  but  wa.s  speedily  at  work  taking  my  infor- 
mations There  were  prints  enough  to  show  the  hart  had  crossed 
at  a  walk  leisurel}'.  It  must  have  been  lately,  for  it  was  since 
the  burn  had  returned  to  its  natural  size,  after  the  last  night's 
flood.  But  nothing  could  be  done  till  morning,  so  I  set  about 
my  cooking  ;  and  having  after  some  time  succeeded  in  lighting  a 
fire,  while  my  grouse  were  slowly  broiling,  I  pulled  a  quantity 
of  heather,  which  I  spread  in  a  corner  a  little  protected  by  an 
overhanging  rock  :  I  spread  my  plaid  upon  it,  and  over  the  plaid 
built  another  layer  of  heather.     My  supper  ended,  which  was 


140  HIGHLAND  SPORT. 


not  epicurean,  I  crawled  into  my  nest  under  my  plaid,  and  was 
soon  sound  asleep.  I  cannot  say  my  slumbers  were  unbroken. 
Visions  of  the  great  stag  thundering  up  the  hills  with  preterna- 
tural speed,  and  noises  like  cannon,  (which  I  have  since  learnt 
to  attribute  to  their  true  cause — the  splitting  of  fragments  of 
rock  under  a  sudden  change  from  wet  to  sharp  frost,)  and  above 
all,  the  constant  recurrence  of  weary  struggles  through  fields  of 
snow  and  ice — kept  me  restless,  and  at  length  awoke  me  to  the 
consciousness  of  a  brilliant  skylight  and  keen  frost — a  change 
that  rejoiced  me  in  spite  of  the  cold. 

"  Saturday. — Need  I  say  my  first  object  was  to  go  down  and 
examine  the  track  anew.    There  was  no  mistake.  It  was  impossi- 
ble to   doubt  that   '  the  muckle  hart  of  Benmore '  had  actually 
walked  through  that  burn  a  few  hours  before  me,  and  in  the 
same   direction.      I    followed    the    direction   of  the  track,  and 
breasted  the  opposite  hill.     Looking  round    from  its  summit,  it 
appeared  to  me  a  familiar  scene,  and  on  considering  a  moment,  I 
found  I  overlooked  from  a  difierent  quarter  the  very  rocky  plain 
and  two  black  lochs  where  I  had  seen  my  chase  three  days  before. 
I  had  not  gazed  many  minutes  when  I  made  sure  I  distinguished 
a  deer  lying  on  a  black  hillock  quite  open.     I  was  down  imme- 
diately, and  with  my  glass  made  out  at  once  the  object  of  all  my 
wanderings.      My   joy  was   somewhat  abated   by  his    position, 
which  was.  not  easily  approachable.     My  first  object,  however, 
was  to  withdraw  myself  out  of  his  sight,  which  I  did  by  crawling 
backwards  down  a  little  bank  till  only  the  tops  of  his  horns  were 
visible,  which  served  to  show  me  he  continued  still.     As  he  lay 
looking  towards  me,  he  commanded  with  his  eye  three-fourths 
of  the  circle,  and  the  other  quarter,  where  one  might  have  got  in 
upon  him  under  cover  of  the  little  hillock,  was  unsafe  from  the 
wind  blowing  in  that  direction.     A  burn    ran   between  him   and 
me,  one  turn  of  which  seemed  to  come  within  two  hundred  yards 
of  him.     It  was  my  only  chance,  so,  retreating  about  half  a  mile, 
I  got  into  the  burn  in  hidden  ground,  and  then  crept  up  its  chan- 
nel with  such  caution  that  I  never  allowed  myself  a  sight  of  more 
than  the  tips  of  his  horns,  till  I  had  reached  the  nearest  bend  to 


HIGHLAND  SPORT.  141 


him.  There,  looldng  through  a  tuft  of  rushes,  I  had  a  perfect 
view  of  the  noble  animal,  lying  on  the  open  hillock,  lazily 
stretched  out  at  length,  and  only  moving  now  and  then  to  scratch 
his  flank  with  his  horn.  I  watched  him  fully  an  hour,  the  water 
up  to  my  knees  all  the  time.  At  length  he  stirred,  gathered  his 
legs  together,  and  arose;  and  arching  his  back,  he  stretched 
himself  just  as  a  bullock  does,  rising  from  his  night's  lair.  My 
heart  throbbed,  as  turning  all  round  he  seemed  to  try  the  wind 
for  his  security,  and  then  walked  straight  to  the  burn  at  a  point 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  from  me.  I  was  much  tempted, 
but  had  resolution  to  reserve  my  fire,  reflecting  I  had  but  one 
barrel.  He  went  into  the  burn  at  a  deep  pool,  and  standing  in 
it  up  to  his  knees,  took  a  long  drink.  I  stooped  to  put  on  a  new 
copper  cap  and  prick  the  nipple  of  my  rifle,  and — on  looking  up 
again  he  was  gone  !  I  was  in  despair,  and  was  even  about  mov- 
ing rashly,  when  I  saw  his  horns  again  appear  a  little  farther  ofi", 
but  not  more  than  fifty  yards  from  the  burn.  By-and-by  they 
lowered,  and  I  judged  he  was  lying  down.  "You  are  mine  at 
last,"  I  said,  and  I  crept  cautiously  up  the  bed  of  the  burn  till  I 
was  opposite  where  he  had  lain  down.  I  carefully  and  inch  by 
inch  placed  my  rifle  over  the  bank  of  the  burn,  and  then  ventured 
to  look  along  it.  I  could  see  only  his  horns,  but  within  an  easy 
shot.  I  was  afraid  to  move  higher  up  the  bed  of  the  burn, 
where  I  could  have  seen  his  body ;  the  direction  of  the  wind 
made  that  dangerous.  I  took  breath  for  a  moment  and  screwed 
up  my  nerves,  and  then  with  my  cocked  rifle  at  my  shoulder  and 
my  finger  on  the  trigger,  I  kicked  a  stone  which  splashed  into 
the  water.  He  started  up  instantly,  but  exposed  only  his  front 
towards  me.  Still  he  was  very  near,  scarcely  fifty  yards,  and  I 
fired  at  his  throat  just  where  it  joins.the  head.  He  dropped  on 
his  knees  to  my  shot,  but  was  up  again  in  a  moment  and  went 
staggering  up  the  hill.  Oh,  for  one  hour  of  Bran  !  Although 
the  deer  kept  a  mad  pace,  I  saw  he  was  soon  too  weak  for  the 
hill,  and  he  swerved  and  turned  back  to  the  burn,  and  came 
headlong  down  within  ten  yards  of  me,  tumbling  into  it  appa- 
rently dead.     Feeling  confident,  from  the  place  where  my  ball 


142  HIGHLAND  SPORT. 


had  taken  effect,  that  he  was  dead,  I  threw  down  my  rifle   and 
went  up    to    the    deer  with   mj   hunting-knife.     I  found    him 
stretched   out,  and  as  I  thought  dying,  and  I  laid  hold  of  his 
horns  to  raise  his  head  to  bleed  him.    I  had  scarcely  touched  him 
when  he  sprang  up,  flinging  me  backwards  on   the  stones.     It 
was  an  awkward  position.     I  was  stunned  by -the  violent  fall; 
behind  me  was  a  steep  bank  of  seven  or  eight  feet  high ;  before 
me  the  bleeding  stag  with  his  horns  levelled  at  me,  and  cutting 
me  off  from  my  rifle.     In  desperation  I  moved,  when  he  instantly 
charged,  but  fortunately  tumbled  ere  he  quite  reached  me.     He 
drew  back  again  like  a  ram   about  to  butt,  and   then   stood  still 
with  his  head  lowered,  and  his  eyes  bloody  and  swelled,  glaring 
upon  me.     His  mane  and  all  his  coat  were  dripping  with  blood 
and  Avater,  and  as  he  now  and  then  tossed  his  head  with  an  angry 
snort  he  looked  like  some  savage  beast  of  prey.     We  stood  mutu- 
ally at  bay  for  some  time,  till  I,  recovering  myself,  jumped  out 
of  the  burn  so  suddenly,  that  he  had  not  time  to  run  at  me,  and 
from  the  bank  above,  I  dashed  ray  plaid  over  his  head  and  eyes, 
and  threw  myself  upon  him.     I  cannot  account  for  my  folly,  and 
it  had  nearly  cost  me   dear.     The   poor  beast  struggled  despe- 
rately, and  his  remaining  strength  foiled  me  in  every  attempt  to 
stab  him  forwards,  and  he  at  length  made  off,  tumbling  me  down, 
but  carrying  with  him  a  stab  in  the  leg  that  lamed  him.     I  ran 
and  picked  up  my  rifle,  and  then  kept  him  in  view  as  he  rushed 
down  the  burn  on  three  legs  towards  the  loch.     He  took  the  water 
and  stood  at  bay  up  to  his  chest  in  it.     When  he  halted,  I  com- 
menced loading  my  rifle,  when  to  my  dismay  I  found  that  all  the 
remaining  balls  I  had  were  for  my  double-barrel,  and  were  a  size 
too  large  for  my  rifle.     I  sat  down  and  commenced  scraping  one 
to   the  right  size,  an  operation  that  seemed  interminable.     At 
last  I  succeeded ;  and  having  loaded,  the  poor  stag  remaining 
perfectly  still,  I  went  up  within  twenty  yards  of  him,  and   shot 
him  through  the  head.     He   turned  over  and  floated,  perfectly 
dead.     I  waded  in  and  floated  him  ashore,  and  then   had  leisure 
to  look  at  my  wounds  and  bruises  of  the  fight,  which  were  not 
serious,  except  my  shinbone,  scraped  from  ankle  to  knee  with 


HIGHLAND  SPORT. 


143 


the  horn.  I  soon  cleaned  my  quarry  and  stowed  him  as  safely  as 
I  could,  and  then  turned  down  the  glen  at  a  gay  pace.  I  found 
Donald  with  Bran  reposing  at  Malcolm's  shealing ;  and  for  all 
reproaches  on  his  misconduct,  I  was  satisfied  with  sending  him 
in  person  to  bring  home  the  '  Muckle  hart  of  Benmore,'  a  duty 
which  he  successfully  performed  before  night-fall." 


HIGHLAND  COSTUME. 


THE   WILD    BOAll   AND    THE   WELSHMAN. 

Evan  ap  Hugh,  an  ancient  Briton,  from  North  Wales,  had  a 
mind  to  travel  for  edification ;  and  willing  to  see  the  politest  part 
of  the  world,  he  bent  his  mind  for  France.  Now,  we  should 
observe,  that  there  is  a  place  in  that  kingdom  called  Brittany, 
which,  in  some  parts  of  it,  as  historians  do  affirm,  is  to  this  day 
inhabited  by  no  other  kind  of  people  but  ancient  Britons,  as  the 
Welsh  do  always  term  themselves ;  and  that  it  was  a  place  of 
refuge  given  them  in  former  ages,  when  they  were  put  to  flight 
by  their  too  powerful  enemies,  the  English  ;  and,  therefore,  it  is 
said,  the  place  takes  its  name  from  them. 

When  our  traveller  was  landed  upon  the  French  shore,  thouoh 
I  know  not  at  what  part  of  it,  he  inquired,  in  the  best  manner  he 
could,  (for  he  knew  not  a  word  of  French,)  "  which  was  hur  way 
to  Brittany  1"  And  at  last,  whether  he  was  directed  that  way 
by  any  that  understood  him,  or  whether  chance  had  brought  him 
there,  is  of  no  great  consequence  either  to  the  reader  or  to  the 
story ;  but  so  it  was,  by  some  means  or  other,  that  be  got  into  a 
great  forest,  belonging  to  the  French  King,  where  he  often  took 
the  diversion  and  exercise  of  hunting  the  wild  boars.  And  there 
they  were  bred  and  kept  for  that  purpose. 

Now  it  happened,  that,  as  the  Welshman  was  wandering 
through  this  forest,  he  all  of  a  sudden  was  surprised  with  a  terri- 
ble noise  and  mighty  rustling  among  the  leaves,  when,  looking 
round  to  see  from  whence  it  came,  he  saw  a  monstrous  wild  boar 
come  running  towards  him,  and  foaming  at  the  mouth  like  a  mad 
thing.  Seeing  the  fierce  boar  thus  suddenly,  the  poor  Welshman,  in 
some  despair,  began  to  look  out  sharply  for  some  place,  if  possi- 
ble, to  shelter  him  in ;  and  as  Providence  was  pleased  to  order 

it,  there  happened  just  by  him  to  be  a  hermit's  cave,  void  of  and  in- 
(144) 


THE  WILD  BOAR  AND  THE  WELSHMAN.  145 


liabitants;  and  the  Welshman  to  his  great  joy,  seeing  the  door 
half  open,  runs  directly  therein,  and  gets  behind  it,  thinking 
himself  perfectly  secure  :  but  he  was  no  sooner  got  into  the  cave 
than  the  foaming  boar  rushed  in  after  him.  The  Welshman 
finding  the  boar  pursued  him  into  the  cave,  instantly  turned  short 
out  of  it,  and  with  a  presence  of  mind  and  motion  as  quick  as 
lightning,  pulled  the  door  as  hard  as  he  could  after  him  ;  and  the 
enraged  boar,  turning  about  also  to  follow  him,  ran  full  butt 
against  the  door,  and  which,  sticking  a  little  before,  he  made  it 
now  quite  fast,  for  the  more  he  pushed  against  it,  the  faster  it 
was.  But  the  poor  Welshman,  having  as  yet  not  recovered  from 
hi;^fright,  he  had  not  the  power  to  leave  the  place;  but  there  he 
stood,  all  over  in  a  trembling  sweat.  In  two  or  three  minutes, 
or  less,  up  came  the  French  king  and  his  attendants;  for  the 
boar  that  was  now  shut  up  in  the  cave  was  one  which  the  king 
and  his  nobles  had  pursued  in  a  chase,  and  which  bad  a  little 
outrun  them.  The  dogs,  directed  by  their  noses,  immediately 
made  up  to  the  door  where  he  was  enclosed,  but  it  stuck  so  fast, 
that  their  weight  could  not  open  it;  so  one  of  the  king's  attend- 
ants came  up  to  the  Welshman,  and  demanded  in  French,  if  he 
had  not  seen  a  wild  boar  run  that  way ;  but  the  Welshman 
answered  in  broken  English,  that  he  did  not  understand  him. 
One  of  the  nobles,  who  understood  English  very  well,  asked  him 
in  that  language  if  he  had  not  seen  a  wild  boar  pass  by  him  a  few 
minutes  before.  "  I  do  not  know  what  is  a  wild  poar,"  replied 
the  Welshman,  "  not  I;  put,  indeed,  here  was  a  little  shaky  pig 
come  up  to  me  in  a  great  passion  and  fury,  look  you,  and  it  was 
going  to  pite  me ;  put  I  was  take  hur  by  hur  tail,  and  throw  hur 
into  that  house,  look  you,  and  I  believe  hur  was  there  now." 
The  king,  who  understood  but  little  English,  demanded  an  expla- 
nation of  what  the  Welshman  said ;  and  the  nobleman  told  his 
majesty,  that  he  said  he  did  not  know  what  a  wild  boar  was,  but 
that  there  was  a  jack-pig  came  up  to  him,  and  was  going  to  bite 
him,  but  he  took  him  by  the  tail,  and  put  him  into  that  house. 
"  Now,  please  your  majesty,  what  they  call  a  jack-pig  in  some 
v.arts  of  England,  is  a  little  sucking  pig ;  so  that  I  should  think 


146  THE  WILD  BOAR  AND  THE  WELSHMAN. 


it  could  never  be  the  wild  boar  be  has  put  in  there."  ''No, 
no,"  replied  the  king,  "  to  be  sure  it  cannot ;  but,  however, 
whatever  it  is  that  he  has  put  in  there,  order  him  to  fetch  it  out 
immediately."  So  the  aforesaid  nobleman  told  the  Welshman, 
that  it  was  his  majesty's  pleasure  that  he  should  fetch  this  little 
jack-pig  out  of  the  house,  that  he  might  see  it.  But  the  Welsh- 
man not  caring  for  the  task,  answered  him  again,  ''Not  I;  if  hur 
was  want  hur  out,  hur  may  fetch  hur  out  again  hurself,  if  hur 
will;  for  I  was  not  like  to  meddle  with  hur  any  more,  look  you." 
Here  the  nobleman  told  his  majesty  what  the  Welshman  said, 
and  at  the  same  time  insinuated  to  his  majesty,  that  he  was  but 
a  poor  ignorant  fellow,  and  that  he  had  very  little  faith  in  wh^t 
he  related.  So  the  king  ordered  the  spearman  who  attended  him 
in  the  chase,  to  force  the  door  open ;  which  they  did  immediately, 
and  out  came  the  boar  with  the  utmost  fury,  when  the  dogs  fell 
instantly  upon  him,  and  the  sport  was  renewed ;  but  the  king  was 
so  amazed  at  what  had  happened  about  the  Yv^elshman's  puttin? 
the  wild  boar  into  the  cave  by  the  tail,  that  he  could  not  quit 
the  place  for  some  time.  Said  he,  to  his  attendants,  "  we  thought 
it  impossible  for  this  stranger  to  put  such  a  creature  into  that 
cave,  and  shut  the  door  upon  him,  as  he  said  he  had  done,  but 
you  find  it  so.  How  came  he  in  and  the  door  shut,  else  ?  It 
was  not  five  minutes  before  that  we  saw  the  creature  before  us ; 
and  this  man,  you  all  saw,  was  there  by  himself.  How  it  could 
be  otherwise,  I  own  to  me  is  amazing  !  I  desire  my  lord,"  con- 
tinued he  to  the  nobleman  who  was  their  interpreter,  "  that  you 
take  care  thai;  I  see  this  wonder  of  a  man  to-morrow."  So  the 
king  rode  in  pursuit  of  his  sport ;  and  the  nobleman,  according 
to  his  majesty's  command,  staid  with  the  Welshman  to  give  him 
directions  where  he  should  come  to  him  the  next  day,  in  order  to 
his  being  introduced  to  the  king  and  court.  Accordingly,  the 
Welshman  came,  and  the  nobleman  carried  him  immediately  to 
his  majesty,  who,  when  he  demanded  a  farther  account  from  him 
concerning  the  wild  boar,  the  Welshman  told  him  the  very  same 
story,  without  variation.  Then  his  majesty  asked  him  what  re- 
ligion ho  was  of;  but  the  Welshman  could  give  him  very  little 


THE  WILD  BOAR  AND  THE  WELSHMAN.  149 


account  of  that.  He  was  very  much  pleased  at  the  fine  appear- 
ance of  the  gens  d'armes,  or  life  guards,  and  told  his  majesty, 
that  "  if  he  would  give  him  a  horse,  and  make  him  one  of 
those  fine  folks,  he  should  be  obliged  to  hur."  At  this  the  king 
was  a  little  surprised,  that  he  asked  for  nothing  better;  but, 
however,  he  gave  orders  that  he  should  be  immediately  equipped. 
And  he  was  no  sooner  initiated  into  the  corps,  but  all  the  French- 
men therein  wished  him  any  where  else,  and  contracted  a  mighty 
mixture  of  fear  and  hatred  for  him  ;  for  not  a  man  in  the  troop 
dared  to  contradict  him. 

The  story  of  his  putting  the  wild  boar  into  the  cave,  was  suffi- 
cient to  intimidate  the  boldest  of  them.  At  length,  the  Welsh- 
man having  been  a  kind  of  lawgiver  amongst  them  a  great  while 
without  the  least  interruption,  they  now  began  to  scheme  and 
form  a  plot  against  him,  in  order,  if  possible,  to  lower  his  mettle. 
So  they  went  privately  through  the  corps  and  raised  by  subscrip- 
tion, a  purse  of  a  thousand  livres  for  any  man  that  would  chal- 
lenge and  fight  him  at  any  weapon ;  and  five  hundred  more  he 
was  to  have  if  he  conquered.  But  none  would  undertake  to  do 
it  for  a  great  while ;  at  last,  a  very  good  swordsman,  and  one 
who  kept  a  fencing  school,  undertook  to  challenge  him ;  and,  in 
order  to  give  him  a  public  correction,  they  got  leave  from 
their  commander,  who  was  obliged  to  ask  it  of  the  king  (for  the 
Welshman  was  a  great  favourite  of  his  majesty)  for  the  honour 
of  France,  to  make  a  pitched  and  public  battle  of  it.  When  the 
Welshman  received  the  challenge,  and  found  that  his  honour, 
his  place,  and  every  thing  of  value,  lay  at  stake,  and  every  thing 
depended  upon  his  success  in  this  disagreeble  engagement,  he 
began  to  scheme  all  the  ways  he  could  think  on  to  accomplish 
his  safety  and  escape,  and  at  last  he  resolves  as  follows  : — 

The  day  for  this  bloody  battle  being  fixed  for  the  morrow,  at 
eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  Welshman  determined  not  to 
stir  from  home  till  a  full  quarter  after,  and  until  several  messen- 
gers had  come  in  quest  of  him,  for  the  good  natured  Frenchmen 
were  in  great  eagerness  to  have  him  despatched.  But  Tafiy  hav- 
ing staid  in  his  apartment  as  long  as  he  thought  proper,  (either 

13* 


150  THE  WILD  BOAR  AND  THE  WELSHMAN. 


plotting  or  praying,)  lie   bundled  up  a  rusty  old  sword  and  a 
pick-axe,  and  away  he  trudges  to  the  place  appointed.     There  he 
found  his  antagonist  ready  stript,  and   exercising  with  another 
master,  to  put  his  hand  in  against  he  engaged;  and  whole  multi- 
tudes of  people    were  assembled  to  see  this  bloody  encounter^ 
which  was  expected  to  be  the  most  worthy  of  observation  of  any 
single  combat  that  ever  had  been  fought  in  that  kingdom.     As 
soon  as  the  Welshman  came  to  the  place  ajipointed,  they  all  began 
to  reproach  him  with   a  general  voice  for  overstaying  his  time ; 
and  his  antagonist,  whose  spirits  were  supported  and  kept  up  by 
the  encouragement  of  his  friends,  brandished  his  sword,  and  with 
great  eagerness   challenged   him  to  the  combat.     At  which  the 
Welshman  carelessly  replied,  "  Don't  put  yourself  into  passions; 
you  shall  find,  look  you,  that  T  am   come  time   enough  for  you 
presently."     So,   throwing  down   his  buadle,  and  after  pulling 
off  his  clothes  very  deliberately,  instead  of  his  sword  he  takes  his 
sp:\de  in  his  hand,  and  looking  several  times  very  earnestly  at  his 
antagonist,  he  makes  a  mark  upon  the  turf  like  a  grave,  and  then 
began  to  dig  and  throw  the  earth  out  of  it,  and  to  pick  with   his 
pick-axe,  and  to  work  as  hard  as  he  was  able.     At  lenffth,  the 
Frenchman,  who  stood  vapouring  and  ready  to  engage  with  him, 
demanded  with  some  contempt,  what  he  was   about  and  why  ho 
did  not  come  and  answer  his   challenge.     "  Ay,  ay,"  quoth  the 
Welshman,  "  you  are  in  a  plaguy  hurry,  look  you  ;   but,  I  pray 
you,  don't  trouble  yourself  any  more   about  it;  I  shall   be  time 
enough  for  you  presently.     ]iut  I  will  not  come  till  I  have  done 
what  I   am    about ;  for,  as  I   am  a   shentleman   and   a  Christian 
man,  and  every  thing  else  in  the  worlt,  I  have  never  kilt  a  man 
in  my  whole  life,  but  I  have  bury  him."      "  ila  !   vat   is  dat  lie 
say  ?"    quoth   the   Frenchman  ;    "  I  varrant  he    lias   killed  ten 
thousand  men  in  his  life ;  else,  he  v/ould  never  take  de  trouble  to 
make  dis  grave  for  n^c  I     But  I  vill  not  stay  to  be  killed  I"     As 
soon  as  the  Frenchman  saw  the  Welshman's  eyes  turned  another 
way,  he  set  out  full  drive,  and  ran  with    all  the   force  and    speed 
he  was  master  of.     And  as  soon  as  he  was  got  far  enough  r)iT,  the 
Welshman,  who  witli  great  joy  saw  liiiu  sot  out.  wm  holding  up 


THE  WILD  BOAU  AND  THE  WELSHMAN. 


151 


his  hciid,  and  seeing  liim,  as  if  by  accident,  running  away,  catcliea 
up  Ills  sword,  and  starting  after  liim,  calls  out  as  loud  as  he  could, 
"  Flood  and  cons  !  does  liur  run  away  at  last,  like  a  fillian  ?  I 
pray  you,  stop  liur !  stop  hur!  and  pring  liur  pack  again  to  liur 
orave,  look  you  I"  But  all  attempts  were  used  in  vain  ;  be  never 
stopt  till  be  was  got  oflf,  nor  was  be  beard  of  till  some  time  after. 
And  thus  the  Welshman  saved  both  bis  life  and  credit ;  for  no 
Frenchman  in  the  whole  kingdom,  from'  that  hour,  dared  to  chal- 
lenge him  ever  after. 

This  Welshman  was  worthy  to  have  been  descended  from 
those  brave  old  worthies,  the  ancient  bards  of  "Wales,  who  fell  a 
sacrifice  to  the  cruel  policy  of  the  English  Edward. 


-;■     \- 


ANCIENT  BARD  OF  WALES. 


THE  LAST  OF  THE   CONTRABAXDIERI 

It  was  Saturday  afternoon,  the  hour  of  vespers  at  Bedonia,  iu 
the  Val  di  Taro.  The  service  had  already  commenced,  and  not 
a  soul  was  to  be  seen  out  of  church.  A  stream  of  female  voices 
gushed  out  of  the  open  windows  of  the  choir.  Outside,  not  a 
sound,  not  a  living  object  astir.  It  was  a  scene  of  ineffable  calm- 
ness and  silence.  Only  near  the  portals  an  instrument  of  destruc- 
tion was  leaning  against  the  wall, — it  was  the  redoubted  carbine 
of  Paul  Moro,  the  last  of  the  bandits  of  the  Appenines. 

The  bandit  himself,  as  we  have  seen,  with  a  reward  on  his 
head,  does  not  believe  himself  exempt  from  attending  church 
service,  and  the  carbine  of  Paul  Moro,  clearly  announced  the 
presence  of  its  owner  among  the  pious  flock  of  the  parish  of 
Bedonia. 

The  mountaineers  of  the  upper  districts  of  the  Val  di  Taro,  no 
matter  what  may  otherwise  be  the  condition  of  Italy — are  an  in- 
dependent race.  They  are  the  same  stubborn  people  against  whom 
the  rage  of  the  victorious  Prench  armies,  under  the  guidance  of 
the  bloody  Junot,  had  for  many  years  to  struggle  with  dubious 
success ;  and  although  brought  to  allegiance  after  the  Restoration, 
they  are  still  virtually  at  war  against  all  governments;  and  gend- 
armes, gangers,  or  excisemen,  seldom  venture  with  impunity  with- 
in the  stronghold  of  their  mountain  fastnesses.  Too  poor  for  tax- 
ation, too  testy  and  stubborn  for  military  service,  the  government 
of  Parma  would  hardly  deem  it  worth  while  to  interfere  with  them 
in  any  manner,  and  would  gladly  leave  them  to  the  rule  of  their 
priests,  and  their  traditional,  clan-like,  social  compact,  were  it 
not  for  the  alarming  extent  to  which  they  carry  on  their  contra- 
band trade. 

Placed  on  the  confine  between  the  Tuscan;  Sardinian,  Mode- 
(152) 


JUKOT. 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  CONTRABANDIERI.      155 


ncse,  Parmesan,  and  Lucchcsc  states,  every  higlilander  of  that 
district  is  at  heart  a  smuggler.  Naturally  a  people  of  the  most 
peaceable  disposition,  frank,  patriarchal,  hospitable,  as  the  Arabs 
of  the  desert,  they  arc  only  induced  to  take  arms  for  the  vindica- 
tion of  what  they  consider  their  inalienable  right  of  free  trade. 
The  Italian  governments  have,  in  their  improvidence,  laid  the 
heaviest  duties  on  salt,  tobacco,  gunpowder,  and  other  articles  of 
the  same  description,  and  raised  toll-gates  and  custom-offices,  at 
every  corner  of  their  Lilliputian  states.  To  evade  the  exactions, 
and  to  baffle  the  vigilance  of  the  officers,  to  convey  the  forbidden 
articles  from  one  state  to  another,  to  counteract  the  mean  spirit 
of  monopoly  on  the  part  of  the  governments,  and  establish  a  kind 
of  unlawful  Zollverein  throughout  the  country,  is  the  main  occu- 
pation, the  dearest  object,  the  pride  of  the  Val-tarese.  Whoever 
defrauds  the  revenue  by  clandestine  smufrjrlino;  is  held  a  clever 
man  and  a  worthy  one ;  but  whoever  carries  on  the  contraband 
in  full  daylight,  by  main  force,  in  the  very  teeth  of  an  armed 
authority,  is  looked  upon  as  a  hero. 

Of  this  latter  description,  there  never  had  been,  from  time  im- 
memorial, a  more  daring  pattern  than  the  one  who  was  now  at- 
tending vespers  in  the  parish  church  at  Bedonia. 

Paul  Moro  was  notorious  throughout  central  Italy.  He  owned 
a  score  of  mules  of  the  best  Genoese  breed.  A  hundred  moun- 
taineers were  ever  ready  at  his  beck  to  join  his  band  for  any 
desperate  enterprise.  He  entertained  a  wide  correspondence 
with  masters  of  smuggling  vessels  in  Corsica  and  Port  Mahon. 
At  the  head  of  his  trusty  outlaws,  he  would  ride  on  a  fine  moon- 
light night  to  some  desert  spot  on  the  Riviera  of  Genoa.  Bales 
from  Havana  or  Virginia  would  pass  from  the  hold  of  a  tempest- 
tossed  schooner  to  the  backs  of  his  sure-footed  cattle.  Then 
making  straight  for  La  Cisa,  or  Mount  Cento  Croci,  the  mighty 
caravan  travelled  day  and  night,  without  intermission,  on  the 
main  road,  announced  at  a  considerable  distance  by  the  hundred 
bells  jingling  at  the  necks  of  its  gaily  caparisoned  mules;  till  on 
its  arrival  at  the  toll- house  on  the  borders,  the  reckless  chieftain 
would  march  forward  alone,  and  knocking  lustily  at  the  bolted 


156      THE  LAST  OF  THE  CONTRABANDIERI. 


door  with  the  butt-end  of  his  rifle,  tauntingly  call  out  to  the 
trembling  gauger  within  to  come  out  and  smoke  one  of  his  best 
Havanas  with  him. 

Strong  bodies  of  gendarmes  and  even  detachments  of  regu- 
lar soldiery  had  been  posted  at  those  often  violated  stations. 
Ambush  and  military  stratagem  had  been  resorted  to.  Combined 
manoeuvres  had  been  planned  by  the  officers  of  different  govern- 
ments to  circumvent  and  surprise  the  lawless  band  in  its  roving 
expeditions.  The  consequences  had  been  bloody  affrays,  from 
which  the  contrabandist  had  invariably  come  off  with  signal  suc- 
cess. His  perfect  knowledge  of  every  inch  of  ground,  his  cool 
intrepidity,  the  consummate  discipline  in  which  men  and  beasts 
in  his  suite  were  trained,  and  the  unerring  aim  of  his  rifles 
enabled  him  to  withstand  the  attack  of  widely  superior  forces. 
Entrenched  behind  their  heavy  loaded  mules,  the  smugglers  could 
at  any  time  improvise  a  fortified  camp,  even  where  the  bare  rocks 
or  the  level  heath  offered  no  better  shelter,  and  there  was  no  in- 
stance on  record  of  any  of  the  band,  dead  or  alive,  or  of  any  part 
of  the  cargo,  being  suffered  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy, 
I3y  degrees,  the  suddenness  of  his  movements,  the  impetuosity 
of  his  onset,  and  the  ruthlessness  of  his  executions,  (for  no  quar- 
ter was  given  on  the  battle-tield,)  had  completely  demoralized  all 
his  opponents,  and  the  name  alone  of  Paul  Moro  had  power  to 
disband  a  whole  regiment  in  sheer  panic  consternation. 

It  must  not,  however,  be  supposed  that  personal  bravery  or 
strategic  abilities  could  alone  have  raised  him  to  such  a  formida- 
ble extent  of  power.  The  secret  of  this  long  career  of  success 
lay  in  the  popularity  of  his  character  and  pursuits.  In  a  land  of 
smugglers  he  was  the  king  of  smugglers.  He  was  a  personifica- 
tion of  the  spirit  of  the  wild  population  among  whom  lay  the 
scene  of  his  exploits.  He  was  the  life  and  soul  of  that  "  free 
trade,"  by  which  alone  Val-di-Taro  could  flourish  and  thrive.  No 
one  had  ever  carried  it  on  with  such  open  defiance,  with  such  en- 
larged views,  with  such  systematic  pcrscveranee,  with  such  con- 
Btant  prosperity.      Every  man  felt   that   contraband  had  been 


THE    LAST   OF    THE   CONTRABAKDIERI.  157 


nothing  before  him,  and  no  one  could  say  what  it  might  Tbecomo 
without  him. 

Every  inhahitant  of  the  district,  therefore,  watched  the  life  of 
Paul  ]\Ioro  with  all  the  zeal  and  activity  of  self-preservation. 
Every  herdsman  on  the  hills,  every  fisher  in  the  streams,  would 
have'  walked  a  hundred  miles  to  convey  him  timely  information 
of  the  presence  of  an  enemy;  every  labourer  in  the  field,  every 
charcoal-burner  in  the  woods,  would  have  forsworn  himself  a 
thousand  times  to  mislead  and  bewilder  his  pursuers.  A  party 
of  Red  Indians  on  their  war-path  do  not  display  half  the  inven- 
tive powers  employed  by  those  mountaineers  to  secure  their 
champion  against  any  chance  of  surprise.  Flags  by  day,  fires  by 
night,  broken  twigs  in  the  forest,  signals  and  sounds  without 
numbei*,  constituted  the  language  by  which  those  volunteering 
spies  and  auxiliaries  communicated  with  tlie  band  on  every  stage 
of  its  march.  The  whole  region,  indeed,  seemed  organized  into 
a  kind  of  Providence  hovcrii  g  with  paternal  solicitude  on  the 
progress  of  its  venturous  chil  Iren,  so  readily  and  so  seasonably 
every  crag  and  thicket  seemc.l  to  produce  a  bare-footed  messen- 
ger, breathless  with  the  momentous  tidings  it  was  his  good  fortune 
to  bear. 

It  was  then  rather  as  an  ornament  t'lau  for  any  expectation  of  its 
being  pressed  into  service,  that  Paul  Moro's  carbine  v/as  left  in 
waiting  at  the  church  door  of  Bedoniu.  Indeed,  were  even  an 
assault  meditated  in  any  other  part  nf  the  country,  against  any 
malefactor,  the  sacredness  of  the  house  of  worship  would,  in  any 
instance,  screen  him  from  danger;  the  women  and  children,  and 
the  very  parish  priest  himself  would,  under  such  circumstances, 
turn  out  and  fight  for  his  defence. 

The  carbine,  however,  was  there.  That  weapon  had  its  ample 
share  of  its  owner's  reputation.  It  was  a  long-barrelled,  silver- 
mounted  rifle,  the  like  of  which  is  not  easily  to  be  met  with  in 
the  civilized  world.  The  moors  of  Abd-El-Kader  and  the  gucr- 
rilleros  of  Cabrera  might  be  so  equipped  for  war ;  but  in  any 
other  country,  old-fashioned  instruments  like  that  are  laid  down 
as   mere  curiosities  of  ancient  armoury.     Paul  More  would  not 

14 


158      THE  LAST  OF  THE  CONTRABANDIERI. 


have  exchanged  his  rifle  against  the  best  of  Manton's  master-« 
pieces.  The  barrel  bore  the  name  of  its  maker,  Lazzarino  Comi- 
nazzo,  an  armourer  who  flourished  in  Italy  long  before  the 
renowned  Spanish  foundries  attained  their  ascendency.  It  was 
soft  and  smooth  as  velvet,  and  it  seemed  as  if  time  and  rust 
could  never  impair  its  rich  brown,  or  affect  the  rings  of  its  snake- 
like  damaskeening.  The  stock,  or  at  least  its  curious  inlayings, 
were  of  more  recent  workmanship—most  probably  renewed  accord- 
ing to  the  taste  of  its  successive  owners,  the  names  of  several  of 
which  were  engraven  on  silver  plates  near  the  lock.  The  fame  of 
all  those  owners  lived  in  the  wildest  traditions  of  the  country, 
and  in  the  hands  of  each  of  them,  as  well  as  in  those  of 
its  present  possessor,  "  La  Lazzarina,"  as  the  rifle  was  called, 
had  performed  such  prodigies,  as  could  hardly  be  expected  of 
a  barrel  merely  cast  iu  mortal  forges,  and  tempered  by  human 
contrivance. 

Meanwhile,  the  elevation  of  the  Host  had  closed  the  ceremo- 
nies of  the  evening  service.  As  the  List  tinkling  of  the  bell  died 
off,  a  faint  rush  was  heard,  announcing  the  i-ising  of  the  congre- 
gation from  their  kneeling  posture.  Presently,  bareheaded, 
silent,  and  with  downcast  eyes,  they  began  to  issue  from  the 
church,  and  after  crossing  the  little  church-yard  they  all  heaved 
a  sigh,  as  they  finiud  tiicraselves  iu  the  open  air,  as  if  glad  to  be 
relieved  from  the  long  eon.-rr.unt  of  overwrought  devotion.  The 
old  people  tarried  awhile  on  the  threshold  to  escort  their  beloved 
pastor  to  his  dwelling,  but  the  more  impatient  members  of  the 
new  generation  filed  off  in  a  bustle,  and  paired  off  in  different 
directions,  engaged  in  genial  conversation. 

Paul  Moro  was  among  the  first  to  leave  the  church ;  he  shoul- 
dered his  piece  with  unaffected  carelessness,  and  a  few  steps 
brought  him  by  the  side  of  the  loveliest  creature  iu  Val-di-Taro. 

Tliey  were  a  reinaikahle  p^ir,  and  formed  rather  a  pleasing 
contrast.  The  contrabandist  was  tall,  dark,  athletic.  He  was  iu 
his  thirtieth  year ;  the  hue  of  exuberant  health  glowed  on  his 
bronzed  check.  Ko  trace  was  ou  his  look  of  the  violent  life  he 
led.     He  had  a  manly,  open,  and  cheerful  countenance,  expres- 


'the  last  of  the  contrabandieri.        159 


slve  of  all  tliat  gentleness  and  benevolence  which  is  inseparable 
from  genuine  valour. 

His  companion  had  the  complexion  of  an  angel  5  somewhat 
pale,  perhaps,  but  dazzlingly  fair.  Her  eyes  were  deep  blue, 
and  locks  of  the  purest  gold  fell  on  a  neck  and  shoulders  of  un- 
blemished whiteness.  She  had  an  exquisite  cast  of  features, 
animated  by  an  expression  of  consummate  archness.  Her  eyes 
beamed  with  an  intelligence  and  energy  which  might  appear 
somewhat  premature  and  unfcminine.  She  was  aged  eighteen, 
and  her  name  was  Maria  Stella. 

There  was  an  awful  story  connected  with  the  birth  of  that  sin- 
gular girl.  Her  mother,  a  milk-maid  of  the  neighbourhood  of 
Borgotaro,  had  fallen  in  with  a  party  of  marauders  from  some 
of  the  invading  armies  of  the  allies  in  1814 ;  whether  Cossacks 
or  Croats,  it  was  never  satisfiictorily  ascertained.  She  remained 
with  them  three  days,  after  which  she  succeeded  in  effecting  her 
escape.  She  repaired  to  her  mother's  home,  haggard,  dishevelled, 
in  a  state  of  raving  insanity ;  and  continued  a  helpless  maniac 
for  nine  months,  at  the  end  of  which  period  she  was  delivered  of  a 
daughter,  and  died  in  giving  her  birth.  The  child  was  christened 
Maria  Stella. 

The  miserable  orphan  was  brought  up  by  her  grandmother,  an 
indigent  widow,  who  was  her  nearest  relative.  In  her  infancy, 
Maria  Stella  was  removed  to  Bedonia,  where  she  had  grown  up 
unconscious  of  her  origiu.  Her  aged  relative  and  guardian  had 
done  all  in  her  power  to  spoil  her.  Indulged  in  all  her  childish 
whims,  and  early  made  aware  of  the  charms  of  her  person,  she 
had  become  as  arrant  a  coquette  as  those  innocent  mountains 
had  ever  beheld.  Paul  Moro,  to  whose  liberalities  her  grand- 
mother was  indebted  for  her  subsistence,  had  centred  all  his 
thoughts  on  that  blooming  girl.  He  was  not,  indeed,  blind  to 
the  waywardness  and  wantonness  of  her  disposition;  but  he  attri- 
buted it  to  the  natural  buoyancy  of  her  age.  In  his  native 
honesty  and  singlemindedness  the  good  contrabandist  was  far 
from  penetrating  to  the  depth,  and  estimatinj^  to  its  full  extent  a 
character  which  seemed,  in  fact,  as  yet  hardly  developed,  and 


160  THE    LAST   OF    THE    C0NTRABANDIER1 


which  was  too  easily  concealed  under  the  appearances  of  girlisli 
petulance  and  self-will. 

"  It  is  a  lovely  evening,"  observed  Maria  Stella,  as  she  drew 
down  her  veletta  on  her  brow,*  and  spread  her  rustic  fan  to  screen 
her  face  from  the  rays  of  the  setting  sun,  v/ell-knowing  at  what 
a  high  premium  her  snow-white  complexion  was  in  that  southern 
climate ;  "  we  will  have  a  stroll  on  the  Pelpi,  and  come  back  by 
moonlight." 

"And  what/'  asked  Paul,  "  is  to  become  of  your  grandma'  all 
the  while?" 

"  Oh,  Nonna  knows  very  well  how  to  take  care  of  herself," 
said  the  girl  pettishly.  ''  She  will  be  telling  her  beads  till  bed- 
time. Amusing,  is  it  not?  I  wish  you  would  go  and  keep  her 
company.  I  can  find  my  way  very  well  without  you — and,  by 
the  by,  you  are  not  going  to  take  that  rusty  old  .sea ro-crov/  with 
you,"  she  said,  tapping  contemptuously  with  her  fan  on  the  bar- 
rel of  the  rifle,  till  it  rang  again  like  a  silver  bell. 

"  Why,"  said  Paul,  "  I  never  knew  you  object  to  Lazzarina 
before." 

"But  I  tell  you  I  won't  have  it:"  insisted  the  spoiled  beauty; 
then  pointing  to  a  countryman  that  met  them  on  the  road — 
"  there  comes  Bonagiunta,  the  cowherd,  in  good  time,"  she  said, 
"Trust  it  with  him.  Now  then  make  up  your  mind:  you  part 
with  your  gun,  or  you  part  with  me." 

"Be  on  your  guard,  Paul  Moro,"  whispered  the  rustic,  walk- 
ing up  to  the  contrabandist.  "I  have  just  come  from  Compiario. 
The  garrison  has  received  a  reinforcement  of  dragoons  from 
Borgotaro.  Captain  Scotti  is  with  them.  Be  on  the  look  out,  I 
tell  ye.     Mark  my  words,  they  are  after  no  good." 

"  The  dragoons  are  loth  to  cross  my  path,  Bonagiunta,"  said 
Paul,  coolly.  '  "  As  for  Captain  Scotti,  there  are  old  scores  to 
settle  between  us.     I  have  spared  him  twice.     It  is  for  him  to 


*  A  picturesque  head-gear  used  by  the  peasant  girls  in  several  mountainous 
districts  in  Italy,  and  e;  nsisting  of  a  square  top  laid  obliquely  on  the  crown 
of  the  head,  with  wide  folds  falling  gracefully  on  both  sides  and  behind. 


TUE  LAST  OF  THE  CONTRABANDIERI.     161 


beware.  ]?ut  wluit  aila  tliee,  wench  !"  be  said,  turning  suddenly 
to  Maria  Stella.  "You  look  pale;  fear  not,  mj  child;  they  will 
not  interfere  with  us,  and  if  they  do,  why  Lazzarina  is  a  friend 
in  need.     Now,  you  see,  we  can't  very  well  dispense  with  it." 

The  girl  bit  her  lips.  The  two  betrothed  continued  their  walk, 
the  smuggler  glancing  occasionally  at  the  road  before  him,  the 
girl  with  her  eyes  on  the  ground ;  both  silent.  The  path  wound 
athwart  the  Pelpi,  a  vast  extent  of  meagre  pasture  ground,  slop- 
ing boldly  to  the  river,  all  bare  and  bleak,  without  one  bush  to 
break  its  monotonous  nudity.  After  an  extent  of  above  three 
miles  the  coast  broke  into  a  narrow  glen,  beyond  which  there 
arose  a  lofty  forest  of  old  chestnut  trees,  spreading  on  a  wide  ex- 
tent of  land  as  far  as  the  ancient  fortress  of  Compiano,  Here 
was  the  foremost  station  of  civilized  life.  That  castle,  which  was 
also  a  pri>f'n  of  state,  was  tenanted  by  a  thin  garrison,  occasion- 
ally strengthened  by  a  body  of  gendarmes,  or  as  they  are  there 
named,  dragoons.  Further  down  the  broad  valley  is  situated 
the  town  of  Borgotaro,  the  little  metropolis  of  the  whole  district. 
In  the  centre  of  the  above-mentioned  glen,  and  about  half-way 
between  Compiano  and  the  village  of  Bedonia,  embosomed  in  a 
cluster  of  luxuriant  trees,  was  a  chapel  dedicated  to  St.  Mary. 
The  shrine  stood  still  and  solitary,  venerable  with  age,  awful 
with  its  unbroken  silence  and  gloom. 

By  the  time  the  two  lovers  had  arrived  in  sight  of  the  chapel, 
the  girl  had  rallied  her  spirits,  damped,  as  her  lover  thought,  by 
the  announcement  of  danger,  however  remote  ;  she  walked  by 
the  side  of  her  protector,  skipping  and  bounding  like  a  very  child, 
railing  and  teazing  him  in  her  desultory  conversation. 

"  But,  my  dear  child — "  remonstrated  Paul. 

''  But,  dear  papa,  this  evening  I  am  in  the  humour  for  a  very, 
very  long  walk ;  we  will  go  at  least,  as  far  as  St.  Mary's." 

"But  child,"  insisted  the  contrabandist,  "you'll  hardly  be 
back  at  midnight." 

"Well,  and  what  of  it?  Are  you  afraid  of  being  with  me 
alope  in  the  dark,  or — on  my  word,  I  believe  you  are  afraid  of 
ghosts  :  they  do  say,  indeed,  the  old  chapel  is  haunted." 

14- 


162     THE  LAST  OF  THE  CONTRABANDIERI. 


"Afraid?"  said  Paul,  without  swaggering;  "I  should  be 
sorry  to  believe  that  I  am  afraid  of  any  man,  alive  or  dead." 

"  You  do  believe  in  ghosts,  though  V 

"  And  why  should  I  not  V  replied  the  brave  man  in  the  sim- 
plicity of  his  heart.  "Am  I  not  a  man  and  a  Christian  ?  Is 
not  the  soul  immortal  and  God  omnipotent  ?  But  I  fear  them 
not ;  an  uneasy  conscience  needs  alone  fear  them.  I  never 
harmed  any  living  being.  I  am  a  quiet  man,  and  follow  a  peace- 
ful trade.  If  an  evil-minded  gauger  chooses  to  act  the  part  of 
the  highway  robber,  and  cross  an  honest  muleteer  on  his  path, 
why  his  blood  be  on  his  head.  It  grieves  me,  though,  to  hear 
you  trifling  with  matters  connected  with  another  world.  The 
books  they  gave  you  at  Borgotaro — I  never  looked  into  them — I 
am  a  poor  ignorant  mountaineer — but  I  fear  they  can  do  you  no 
"•ood.  There  are  men  who  study  till  they  learn  to  fear  neither 
God  nor  the  devil,  and — " 

"  There  now,"  interrupted  Stella,  "what  a  good  parson  you'd 
make." 

"I  do  not  like  your  books,"  continued  Paul  Moro,  with  rising 
warmth,  "  and  I  do  not  like  the  company  you  frequent  at  Borgo- 
taro. It  was  ill-advised  of  your  grandmother  to  allow  you  to  go 
alone  to  that  idle  town;  had  I  been  in  the  way,  this  should  never 
have  been.  We  have  heard  of  your  fine  doings  there.  You  have 
no  regard  for  me,  Stella,  or  you  would  not  forget  yourself  so  far 
as  to  be  seen  dancing  and  flirting  with  Captain  Scotti,  or  any 
other  thief-taker  with  epaulettes  like  him." 

"  Hush,  hush;  see  there  !"  exclaimed  the  girl,  with  her  usual 
levity,  pointing  with  her  fan  to  a  mountain  hawk  which  was  sail- 
ing loftily  over  their  heads. 

"  You  see,  yonder,  that  kite,  or  buzzard,  or  whatever  it  is  ?" 

said  the  girl. 

"  It  is  a  noble  hawk,"  said  the  contrabandist,  with  a  venera- 
tion for  that  bird  peculiar  to  the  mountaineers.  "  Its  pinions  are 
as  broad  as  an  eagle's." 

"  Make  haste  with  your  rifle  and  bear  him  down  !" 

"  The  bold  falcon  does  us  no  harm,"  remonstrated  Paul  Moro 


TIIK   LAST   OF   THE   CONTRABANPIERI.  163 


who  himself  a  rover,  had  a  fellow-feeling  for  the  daring  pirate  of 
the  air. 

"It's  a  fine  shot,"  insisted  the  wilful  girl,  "and  I  long  to  see 
a  trial  of  your  skill.  Do  you  hear,  sir  !  Down  with  your  rifle 
and  fire." 

The  good-natured  lover  complied  reluctantly  with  the  girl's 
caprice.  He  raised  the  muzzle  of  his  gun  to  a  level  with  the 
bird,  and  followed  for  a  second  its  rotary  soaring  in  the  air. 
Suddenly  his  heart  seemed  to  smite  him.  He  lowered  his  piece, 
and  turning  to  his  impatient  mistress,  "Grace,"  he  said,  "grace, 
for  the  harmless  creature  !" 

"  Harmless  plunderer  of  dove-cots  and  poultry-yards  forsooth. 
I  have  no  patience  with  you." 

"  Every  living  being  follows  the  instinct  with  which  God  Al- 
mighty has  gifted  him,"  returned  the  bandit,  solemnly ;  "  we 
have  no  right  to  sit  in  judgment  against  him." 

"  Xone  of  your  nonsense,"  urged  the  girl,  snappishly,  "fire 
forthwith,  or  I'll  dispense  with  your  company  on  my  way 
back." 

The  contrabandist  again  took  his  unerring  aim.  The  hawk 
was  by  this  time  right  over  his  head,  at  a  very  great  height.  He 
wheeled  round  and  round,  lingeringly  and  almost  imperceptibly, 
courting  as  it  were  the  fate  that  awaited  him,  unfolding  his 
mighty  wings  to  their  utmost  extent,  and  offering  thus  as  wide  a 
target  as  the  marksman  could  desire.  Paul  fired.  The  report 
of  the  rifle  awakened  the  distant  echoes  on  both  sides  of  the 
wide  stream.  The  hawk  made  an  upward  start,  then  suddenly 
Binking  heavily,  helplessly,  he  bounded  down,  turning  over  and 
over  through  the  air,  until  he  plunged  with  a  dead  splash  into 
the  roaring  torrent-,  many  hundred  feet  beneath  the  ground  on 
which  his  destroyer  stood. 

While  Paul  with  a  melancholy  eye  followed  the  downfall  of 
the  bird,  Stella  cast  a  hurried  glance  towards  the  forest. 

"  The  brave  soaring  falcon  will  never  go  back  to  his  eyrie," 
said  Paul,  turning  away  his  head.  "  His  race  is  run,  and  the 
messenger  of  death  reached  him  just,  perhaps,  as  he  exulted  in 


164     THE  LAST  OF  TUE  CONTRABANDIERI. 


the  full  consciousness  of  his  powers.  So  much  for  those  who  put 
their  trust  in  mortal  strength." 

<'  I  am  only  sorry  we  can  have  none  of  his  feathers,"  observed 
the  girl,  with  great  coolness.  "  I  wanted  a  plume  for  the  cap  of 
my  own  champion.  But  come,"  she  added,  taking  hold  of  his  arm, 
and  hurrying  him  away,  just  as  he  prepared  to  reload  his  piece. 
"  We  are  not  a  hundred  yards  from  the  chapel,  and  we  must  not 
go, back  without  kneeling  to  the  image  of  our  Lady." 

The  mountaineer  followed  her  without  a  reply,  but  in  a  state 
of  unusual  depression.  Stella,  aware  of  the  gloominess  of  his 
disposition,  endeavoured  to  dispel  it,  by  her  incessant  volu- 
bility. 

"  There  is  the  enchanted  forest,"  said  she,  "  the  nest  of 
sprites  and  goblins,  the  haunt  of  ghosts  and  ghouls,  and  all  evil 
spirits  that  roam  by  night."  Then  raising  her  merry  voice 
amidst  peals  of  laughter,  she  sung  : — 

"  Day  or  night,  no  man  should  rove 
Through  the  dismal  chestnut  grove." 

"  Prithee,  Stella,  not  that  silly  song,"  interrupted  Paul  Moro. 
"  Sing  me  rather  some  staves  out  of  the  Lay  of  San  Pelle- 
grino." 

But  the  heedless  girl  continued,  raising  her  voice  to  the 
highest  pitch. 

"Peace,  Stella  !"  interrupted  the  smuggler,  drawing  her  back 
hastily. 

"  Mercy,  what  is  the  matter  ?"  faltered  the  girl,  ready  to  faint 
with  terror. 

Every  trace  of  colour  had  fled  from  the  cheeks  of  Paul  Moro. 
His  first  movement  had  been  to  lower  the  muzzle  of  his  gun  in 
the  direction  of  the  chapel ;  his  hand  next  ran  to  the  hilt  of  his 
dagger,  but  his  self-possession  instantly  returned,  and  ashamed 
of  the  moment  of  weakness  he  had  evinced, 

"  Pah  !"  he  exclaimed,  "  I  am  growing  chicken-hearted,  I  be- 
lieve, as  I  am  getting  old.  Didn't  I  fancy  I  saw  a  bayonet 
gleaming  through  the  branches  of  that  old  chestnut-tree  ?" 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  CONTRABANDIERI.     165 


"  I  told  you  so/'  retorted  the  girl,  who  had  rallied  her  spirits 
as  soon  as  her  companion.  "  The  grove,  the  dismal  grove  !  that 
is  the  place  for  strange  sounds  and  queer  sights." 

They  had  reached  the  outskirts  of  the  forest,  and  stood  in  front 
of  the  chapel.  The  sun  had  set  behind  a  huge  mass  of  summer 
clouds,  and  the  moon  was  yet  struggling  through  a  dense  haze 
down  in  the  cast.  It  was  the  first  and  yet  the  darkest  hour  of 
night.  The  last  peals  of  the  Ave  Maria  from  many  a  parish 
church  on  the  hills,  died  languidly  away  mellowed  by  distance, 
and  the  soft  sigh  of  eve  seemed  to  spread  over  the  silent  land- 
scape. Obeying  the  influence  of  the  ineffable  calmness  around 
him,  the  contrabandist  laid  his  carbine  against  the  wall,  and 
threw  his  cap  on  the  rude  stone  bench  which  ran  all  along  the 
front  of  the  shrine.  He  sat  down,  drew  the  pale-faced  girl  on 
his  knees,  and  rested  his  head  on  her  shoulder,  musing. 

'  Come,  Paul,"  said  the  girl,  in  a  voice  which  appeared  sub- 
dued by  the  solemnity  of  the  hour  and  of  the  place.  "  Let  us 
go  in.  Three  Ave  Marias,  and  then  we'll  see  what  Nonna  has  got 
for  our  supper." 

The  man  rose.  He  lifted  up  the  latch,  and  pushed  the  gate 
open.  The  girl  followed  on  his  footsteps  and  yet,  even  yet,  as 
she  set  her  foot  on  the  sill,  she  stopped  for  a  few  seconds  to  take 
a  survey  of  the  surrounding  trees. 

They  knelt  side  by  side  on  the  bare  pavement  in  the  centre  of 
the  chapel ;  they  bowed  their  heads  before  the  rudely-carved  and 
gaudily-dressed  image  on  the  altar-piece. — The  clear,  silver  voice 
of  Maria  Stella  could  be  heard  responding  to  the  deep  tones  of 
the  pious  contrabandist.  The  girl  was  many  shades  paler  than 
usual  as  they  emerged  from  the  shrine.  Paul  was  about  to  re- 
sume his  cap  and  his  rifle  when  his  mistress  laid  her  hand  on  his 
arm. 

''Stop  dear  Paul,"  she  stammered,  "I  have  left  my  fan  in  the 
chapel." 

The  contrabandist  hastened  back  to  the  spot  they  had  just  left. 
As  he  was  stooping  to  raise  the  fan  from  the  ground  he  heard 


166  TUE  LAST  OF  THE  CONTRABANDIEEI. 


the  iron  door  violently  slammed  beliind  him.     Maria  Stella  stood 
laughing  outside. 

"Come,  child,  none  of  your  pranks,"  cried  the  mountaineer 
his  eye  flashing  with  sudden  anger.     "  This  is  neither  the  place 
nor  the  time  for  trifling.     You  know  I  cannot  brook  confinement, 
not  even  in  jest." 

As  he  said  this  he  laid  his  powerful  grasp  on  the  iron  rails, 
and  gave  them  a  hearty  pull  but  in  vain. 

'  There  now,  you  are  my  prisoner,"  shouted  the  wild  girl, 
clapping  her  hands  in  all  the  enjoyment  of  her  mad  frolic.  "I 
have  half  a  mind  to  leave  you  there  to  spend  the  night  with  the 
ghosts." 

The  countenance  of  the  contrabandist  became  now  terrific. 
"  Lift  up  the  latch,  giddy  girl,  or  by  Heaven — " 

Maria  Stella  was  appalled  by  that  menacing  scowl ;  she  has- 
tened to  comply  with  his  desire,  and  fumbled  for  some  time  at 
the  latch,  but  after  a  few  ineffectual  efforts  she  drew  back  impa- 
tiently. 

"The  devil  is  in  the  lock,  I  do  believe,"  she  exclaimed,  "lend 
me  your  knife,  Paul ;  my  fingers  are  all-a-bleeding." 

Paul  thrust  the  handle  of  his  dagger  through  the  bars  of  the 
door.  The  girl  clutched  it  eagerly.  In  that  instant  the  grove 
became  alive  with  armed  men. 

"  There  he  is !"  said  Maria  Stella,  addressing  her  words  to 
their  leader.  "  He  can't  help  himself  now.  Don't  hurt  him  at 
least.     Remember  you  promised  !" 


Seven  years  had  elapsed  since  that  new  Dalilah  had  delivered 
her  lover  fast  and  bound  (for  Paul  was  too  much  stunned  by  her 
treason  to  offer  even  a  show  of  resistance)  into  the  hands  of  his 
enemies.  Matters  bore  now  a  different  aspect  in  the  upper  re- 
gions of  Val-di-Taro.  There  was  an  end  of  "  free  trade"  since 
the  last  of  the  contrabandists  had  disappeared  from  the  scene  of 
his  daring  achievements.  The  fate  of  Paul  Moro  had  daunted 
the  most  valiant  of  his  band.  A  sneaking  smuggler  would  yet 
occasionally  steal  through  a  wolf-path  over  the  border  with  his 


THE   LAST   OF   THE   CONTRABANDIERI.  167 


pack  of  prohibited  goods  on  bis  shoulder ;  but  the  fair,  gentle- 
manly practice  of  highway  contraband  had  been  gradually  dis- 
continued, and  seemed  now  to  have  become  utterly  imprac- 
ticable. 

By  what  fatal  stratagem  Paul's  capture  had  been  brought 
about  remained  yet,  in  a  great  measure,  a  mystery.  But  how- 
ever artfully  Maria  Stella  might  contrive  to  avert  from  herself 
the  odium  of  that  dark  transaction — however  loudly  she  bewailed 
her  lover's  fate,  and  her  own  bereavement,  she  was  soon  made 
aware  that  the  tide  of  public  opinion  was  setting  hard  against 
her,  and,  as  if  apprehending  that  the  air  of  Bedonia  had  all  at 
once  become  too  keen  for  her  constitution,  she  prevailed  on  her 
grandmother  to  repair  to  Borgotaro. 

The  strong  suspicions  that  were  current  to  her  discredit, 
received  ample  confirmation  by  the  heartless  and  almost  riotous 
life  into  which  she  plunged  as  soon  as  she  saw  herself  safely  re- 
established in  her  native  place.  Captain  Scotti,  he,  it  was  sur- 
mised, who  commanded  the  expedition  against  Paul  Moro  at  St. 
Mary's  chapel,  became  now  her  constant  attendant.  The  flatte- 
ries of  that  gay  admirer  induced  her  to  a  course  of  dissipation 
which  could  not  fail  to  give  great  offence  to  the  sober  community 
that  witnessed  it.  AYhatever  may  be,  or  rather  may  have  been 
the  manners  of  the  idle  nobility  in  town,  licentiousness  is  very 
rare  in  Italy  among  the  middle  and  lowest  classes.  Maria  Stella 
found  that  she  had  no  longer  a  right  to  raise  her  face  before  her 
equals,  and  in  vain  urged  her  gallant  swain  to  restore  her  good 
name  by  the  only  means  in  his  power.  In  a  moment  of  despair, 
advised  also  as  it  seems  by  the  captain  himself,  she  yielded  to 
the  repeated  solicitations  of  her  ancient  suitor,  Dr.  Bisturi,  an 
old  miser,  aged  three  score,  who  had  buried  three  wives,  and  did 
not  shrink  from  the  contingencies  of  a  fourth  connubial  experi- 
ment. 

The  wedding  took  place  about  three  months  after  the  arrest 
of  the  contrabandist.  Tidings  of  his  trial  and  sentence  at  Parma, 
had  recently  reached  Borgotaro,  and  the  announcement  of  his 
execution  was  hourly  expected. 


168     THE  LAST  OF  THE  GONTRABANDIERI. 


Merrily  rang  every  bell  from  the  crazy  old  steeple,  as  the 
doctor  and  his  youthful  bride,  now  made  one  flesh  for  life,  issued 
from  the  main  door  of  the  church  ;  the  old  country  town  of  Bor- 
gotaro  had  put  on  its  best  holiday  look,  glad  of  its  share  in  a 
festive  ceremony,  no  matter  how  unpopular  the  parties  it  was 
called  upon  to  congratulate.  And  the  boys  shouted,  and  the 
mortars  thundered,  and  the  flags  waved  from  the  balconies,  and 
the  roads  were  strewn  with  flowers.  The  whole  bridal  company 
got  on  their  mountain  nags,  and  a  long  stream  of  people  followed 
in  disorderly  procession.  Caj^tain  Scotti  as  bridesman,  bestrid- 
ing the  proudest  of  his  chargers,  pranced  gallantly  on  the  left  of 
Maria  Stella;  his  radiant  countenance  and  martial  bearing  aiford- 
ing  no  common  contrast  to  the  shrivelled  face  and  vaulted  figure 
of  the  old  bridegroom,  as  he  sat  crouching  on  his  ambling  mule. 
The  gay  cavalcade  had  well-nigh  reached  the  doctor's  residence, 
near  the  half-tottering  gate  of  the  town,  when  it  was  met,  and 
owing  to  the  narrowness  of  the  street,  momentarily  checked  by 
another  party,  coming  from  an  opposite  direction,  and  presenting 
quite  a  different  aspect. 

It  was  a  large  convoy  of  grim-visaged  malefactors,  tied  together 
on  a  long  string,  bound  for  the  bagnios  of  Greuoa.  They  were  es- 
corted by  a  band  of  alguazils,  armed  to  the  teeth,  and  their  limbs 
were  loaded  with  several  coils  of  clanking  chains.  Each  of 
these  felons  muttered  his  coarse  joke  as  he  brushed  by  the  white 
palfrey  of  the  gaily-attired  bride.  Only  the  last — he  came  alone, 
and  hold  his  eyes  on  the  ground,  as  if  unconscious  of  the  inter- 
ruption,— only  the  last  would  have  walked  silently  on,  had  not 
his  attention  been  suddenly  roused  by  a  faint  exclamation  of  the 
bride  herself — it  was  Paul  Moro  ! 

On  the  morning  of  his  execution  at  Parma,  the  cart  on  which 
he  was  conveyed  to  the  scaffold,  had  Jiappened  to  meet  the  car- 
riage of  the  reigning  duchess,  and  that  gracious  encounter,  in 
accordance  with  a  long  established  custom  was  interpreted  as  a 
BJgnification  of  reprieve.  His  sentence  was  commuted  into  hard 
imprisonment  for  life,  and  he  had  received  order  to  join  a  band 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  CONTRABANDIERI.     169 


of  criminals,  who  were  then  on  the  eve  of  their  transportation  to 
the  galleys  of  Genoa. 

At  that  cry  of  surprise,  which  the  sight  of  her  victim  elicited 
from  Stella's  heart,  Paul  raised  his  head,  and  seemed  to  awake 
from  a  lethargic  sleep.  He  gazed  at  his  late  betrothed,  he  gazed 
at  the  sparkling  cavalier,  who,  on  the  first  symptoms  of  alarm, 
had  thrown  his  right  arm  round  the  lady's  waist,  as  if  to  steady 
her  on  her  saddle ;  and  as  he  gazed,  he  turned  quickly  round  to 
address  them,  by  that  sudden  start  communicating  a  backward 
movement  to  the  whole  gang  of  his  fellow-captives.  His  guar- 
dians, however,  pressed  on  his  heels,  and  drove  him  onward  with 
oaths  and  blows. 

Then  the  fiend  of  impotent  rage  was  roused  in  the  heart  of 
Paul  Moro.  He  cast  a  savage  look  on  all  surrounding  objects, 
as  if  anxious  to  include  the  whole  of  creation  in  one  sweeping 
malediction.  Then,  with  the  fury  of  the  wolf  of  the  Appenine, 
when  wounded  by  the  huntsman's  lead,  he  drives  his  fangs 
through  his  smarting  flesh,  the  miserable  convict  snapped  at  his 
left  arm  with  his  teeth  with  such  rabid  ferocity,  that  the  blood 
flowed  copiously  from  the  arteries  of  his  lacerated  limb.  Faint 
with  the  loss  of  blood,  and  the  exhaustion  of  his  passion,  he  was 
conveyed  to  the  gaol  of  Borgotaro,  where  a  month  elapsed  before 
he  was  so  far  recovered  as  to  reach  his  ultimate  destination. 

The  bfet  part  of  seven  years  had  now  gone  by  since  Stella's 
wedding  had  been  saddened  by  that  ominous  meeting.  She  was 
now  seated  by  her  bedside,  in  her  chamber,  watching  the  slum- 
bers of  her  only  child,  a  blooming  girl,  born  within  the  first 
twelvemonth  of  her  wedlock.  The  doctor,  her  husband,  was 
from  home.  It  was  late  at  night,  and  her  attendant  had  retired. 
Unrest  and  anxiety  stood  on  the  face  of  that  solitary  watcher. 
And  yet,  her  uneasiness  could  hardly  arise  from  any  maternal 
concern  for  the  health  or  well-being  of  her  daughter,  for  the  dewy 
roses  of  thriving  freshness,  and  the  seraph  smile  of  happy  inno- 
cence, were  on  the  face  of  the  sleeping  girl.  Moreover,  her  eye 
wandered  often  from  the  cradle   to  the  half-closed  door  of  her 

15 


170     THE  LAST  OF  THE  CONTRABANDIEEI. 


apartment.     She  rose    also,  Bot    unfrequently,   and   paced    the 
room  with  the  agitated  step  of  fretful  expectation. 

Her  countenance  had  lost  much  of  its  native  liveliness,  and 
the  incessant  worming  of  latent  care  seemed  even  to  have  under- 
mined her  gracile  constitution.  The  advantages  of  the  compara- 
tive affluence  and  ease  of  her  present  situation  had  fallen  misera- 
bly short  of  her  sanguine  anticipations.  The  dulnesa  of  her 
husband's  home  was  but  a  sad  refuge  against  the  withering  scorn 
which  awaited  her,  whenever  she  ventured  out  into  a  society,  for 
which  her  origin  as  well  as  her  conduct  unfitted  her.  The  very 
man  for  whose  sake  she  had  sunk  so  low  in  her  own  and  the 
world's  estimation,  Captain  Scotti  himself,  had  but  coldly  requited 
her  boundless,  though  guilty  devotion.  Not  many  months  after 
her  wedding,  that  officer  had  been  removed  to  a  distant  part  of 
the  province.  He  had  left  her  letters  unanswered,  and  all  inter- 
course had,  for  a  long  lapse  of  years,  ceased  between  them. 

But  he  had  come  back,  at  last ;  suddenly,  unexpectedly ;  an 
interchange  of  billets  had  taken  place,  and  the  doctor's  absence 
offering  a  rare  opportunity,  that  very  evening  had  been  appointed 
for  a  reconciliatory  meeting. 

Trembling  with  anxiety,  sat  the  guilty  wife  by  her  daughter's 
cradle.  That  girl,  she  knew,  had  more  than  her  ample  share  in 
that  cold  and  selfish  man's  affections.  Since  his  last  clandestine 
visit,  years  ago,  the  helpless  infant  had  grown  into  a  lively  and 
rational  being.  Stella  looked  on  her  own  girl,  who,  she  hoped, 
was  to  become  a  pledge  of  renovated  tenderness.  To  the  mother, 
she  thought,  he  might  show  himself  overbearing  and  tyrannical ; 
but  that  child's  smiles,  the  very  sight  of  its  sleeping  loveliness 
could  not  fail  to  subdue  him,  to  win  him  back  to  his  wonted 
allegiance. 

Outside,  the  night  was  dark  and  squally.  The  moaning  gusts 
of  the  autumn  wind  shook  the  old  mansion  with  incessant  fury. 
A  solitary  star  would  glimmer,  for  an  instant,  through  a 
breach  opened  between  the  dafting  clouds,  but  huge  black 
masses,  as  if  of  Stygian  vapours,  immediately  thronged  upon  the 


..^ 


THE  LAST  OF  THE  CONTRABANDIERI.     171 


vacarrt  space,  and  all  again  became  more  compact  and  deeper 
gloom. 

Maria  Stella,  now  at  her  window,  contemplated  the  revel  of  the 
raging  elements.  A  shiver  ran  through  her  veins,  the  cold 
blast  howled  through  the  crannies  of  the  shattered  shutters,  in 
the  sound  of  a  hungry  wolf,  prowling  at  the  dead  of  night  round 
the  palings  of  a  lonely  sheep-fold. 

On  a  sudden  her  countenance  beamed,  her  hands  were  clasped 
with  ecstatic  joy;  for  the  form  of  a  man  was  descried  advancing 
rapidly  down  the  silent  street.  Stella  recognized  that  lofty 
figure,  that  martial  step,  that  proud  bearing  of  his  head.  Her 
eyes  had  not  deceived  her.  Yet  a  few  moments,  and  the  stately 
officer  stopped  on  the  threshold  of  her  house.  It  was  an  old 
seignorial  mansion,  almost  a  castle  in  appearance,  but  sadly  out 
of  repair,  which  the  griping  physician  had  bought  out  of  the 
wreck  of  a  ruined  family.  The  main  door  in  the  street  remained 
open  day  and  night,  the  doctor's  household  being  only  protected 
By  the  doors  at  the  entrance  of  the  habitable  apartments.  The 
captain  entered.  There  was  a  short  interval  of  trembling  expec- 
tation, and  presently  a  light  foot-tread  stole  rapidly  up  the  mar- 
ble staircase.  Maria  Stella  hurried  to  the  door  with  outstretched 
arms.  Tlie  door  flew  open,  yielding  to  a  hasty  impulse  from 
without.  In  stalked  the  nocturnal  visitor — and  Maria  Stella  fell 
back,  uttering  a  shriek — a  piercing,  rending,  unearthly  shriek,  as 
if  her  heart-strings  had  snapped  asunder. 

Paul  Moro  stood  before  her ! 

During  six  years  and  nine  months  Maria  Stella  never  had  once 
he:ird  of,  never  alluded  to  the  transported  contrabandist.  Thought 
of  him,  however,  she  had ;  and  his  sudden  appearance,  in  that 
guilty  moment,  called  back,  by  an  instantaneous  rush,  a  whole 
ace  of  secret  terror  and  stifled  remorse.  Great  Heaven  !  was  it 
the  phantom  of  the  dead  rising  before  her  an  avenger?  or  if  it  was, 
indeed,  Paul  living  and  breathing,  how  had  he  broken  his  chains 
and  travelled  safely  back  to  his  mountains  ?  And  Paul  had  met 
him  !  for  her  eyes  had  not  deceived  her,  and  the  captain  stood 
but  one  minute  since  on  her  threshold.  They  had  met.  Her 
-over  had  fallen  by  the  hand  <»f  his  rival. 


t    mi^^ 


172     THE  LAST  OF  THE  CONTRABANDIERI. 


Maria  Stella  staggered  back.  Thrice  did  she  press  both  her 
hands  on  her  heart — thrice  did  she  grasp  convulsively,  as  she 
reeled  backwards  towards  her  daughter's  cradle.  Her  marble 
pale  countenance  in  an  instant  became  overspread  with  flaming 
scarlet.  But  that  sanguine  hue  immediately  gave  place  to  a  dark 
purple.  There  was  a  spasmodic  throbbing  at  her  temples  :  a 
gurgling  and  rattling  at  her  throat ;  she  tottered  backwards  and 
backwards,  with  her  glaring  eyes  rivetted  on  the  blasting  appari- 
tion— fascinated  as  if  Medusa's  head  had  suddenly  offered  itself 
before  her  gaze ;  thrice  she  faltered  in  a  smothered  voice,  "  Paul ! 
Paul  Moro!"  and  sank  overpowered  across  the  couch  of  her 
child. 

That  which  caused  that  misguided  woman  such  a  trance  of 
cruel  perplexity  is,  however,  for  us,  a  problem  of  easy  solution. 
Only  three  days  before,  the  port  of  Genoa  had  been  thrown  into 
an  uproar  by  the  announcement  of  the  escape  of  six  galley  slaves 
from  the  Darsena.  They  had  been  seen  prowling  along  the  sea- 
shore towards  La  Spezia.  They  were  all  bandits  and  smugglers 
from  Parma;  Paul  Moro  was  their  leader,  he  had  projected  and 
promoted  their  bold  scheme  of  escape.  They  had  seized  on  a 
fishing  tartana,  and  five  of  them  sailed  for  the  opposite  coast  of 
Barbary.  But  the  leader  remained  behind.  He  resisted  the 
warm  entreaties,  the  tears  and  threats  of  his  comrades.  He  had 
a  vow  to  fulfil,  he  urged.  He  stood  long  gazing  after  their  re- 
ceding sail,  as  wind  and  wave  were  rapidly  wafting  them  to  a 
laud  of  freedom  and  security.  He  wished  them  speed  and  suc- 
cess in  their  voyage.  But  he  envied  them  not;  he  did  not 
m'lurn  over  their  unavoidable  separation ;  his  fate  awaited  him  on 
shore. 

Then  lie  moved  homewards.  He  trod  on  his  native  hills;  he 
plunged  into  the  depths  of  his  forests;  from  an  overhanging 
cliff'  he  hailed  the  broad  valley  which  had  so  often  witnessed  his 
triumphs.  He  stood  on  the  ruins  of  his  dismantled  dwelling,  he 
toiled  through  the  thorns  and  nettles  luxuriating  on  his  dcsertei 
homefield.  The  desolation  of  his  own  heart  seemed  equally  spread 
over  the  scenery  around. 


TUE  LAST  OF  THE  CONTRABANDIERI.     173 


But  be  had  not  come  to  mourn  over  ruins,  or  to  wail  over  the 
devastation  of  inclement  seasons.  He  had  a  sacred  duty,  a 
solemn  vow  of  revenge  to  accomplish.  Three  days  and  three 
nights  he  wandered,  biding  his  time,  and  watching  the  move- 
ments of  his  victim.  The  doctor's  absence,  the  captain's  return, 
the  secret  messages  between  the  two  lovers,  their  appointed 
meeting — he  knew  all — he  guessed  all,  as  if  gifted  with  a  mira- 
culous power  of  divination. 

At  the  appointed  hour  he  hid  himself  behind  the  portals  of 
Stella's  house.  Behind  a  pillar  in  the  dark  hall  Paul  Moro 
awaited  the  arrival  of  the  expected  guest.  He  heard,  he  recog- 
nized his  tread,  he  perceived  his  tall  figure,  he  fancied  he  could 
discern  his  features  as  the  captain  passed  him  in  the  dark,  grop- 
ing up  to  the  staircase.  The  contrabandist  laid  hand  on  his  dag- 
ger, and  followed  close  on  his  footsteps. 

But  passion  is  hasty  and  inconsiderate,  guilt  is  suspicious  and 
cowardly.  The  captain  heard  the  footfall  of  his  pursuer.  He 
stopped  short,  he  held  his  breath.  He  was  far  indeed  from 
dreaming  of  the  real  nature  of  his  danger ;  but  he  was  assailed 
by  a  thousand  vague  terrors.  He  apprehended  the  doctor  might 
have  detected  his  clandestine  connexion  with  his  wife,  and  way- 
laid him;  he  even  dreaded  the  vengeance  of  Maria  Stella  herself, 
whom  he  felt  he  had  wronged,  and  whom  he  knew  by  experience 
capable  of  the  most  dangerous  extremes.  A  sudden  faint-heart- 
cdness  stole  over  the  frame  of  the  gallant  captain.  He  resolved 
to  give  up  the  interview.  This  change  in  his  disposition  was 
but  the  work  of  a  moment ;  he  stole  through  a  back  staircase 
into  the  yard,  and  through  a  coach-door  glided  out  of  the 
house. 

Paul  Moro  knew  nothing  of  this  retreating  movement.  He 
felt  sure  he  was  following  on  the  track  of  his  mortal  enemy.  He 
held  him  safe.  Thirst  for  revenge  blinded  and  deafened  him. 
Thoroughly  acquainted  with  every  turning  in  the  house,  he 
rushed  to  the  door  of  Stella's  chamber,  into  which  his  rival  must 
in  that  very  instant  have  preceded  him.     He  pushed  open  the 

15* 


174     THE  LAST  OF  THE  CONTRABANDIERI. 


door,  and  was  scarcely  less  surprised  than  Stella  herself  when  he 
found  her  alone. 

He  could  scarcely  believe  his  own  eyes.  He  cast  a  hasty 
glance  round  the  room,  and  that  rapid  survey  satisfied  him  that 
his  victim  had  vanished.     He  stood  amazed  on  the  spot. 

His  dress  was  torn,  soiled,  and  squalid,  the  consequence  of  his 
rambling  days  and  nights  in  the  woods.  His  face  was  hollow 
and  haggard,  the  result  of  long  hours  of  fast  and  sleej^lessness, 
and  his  features  had  been  hardened,  the  expression  of  his  coun- 
tenance had  grown  wild  with  years  of  weary  toil,  with  the  con- 
stant intercourse  with  degraded  beings.  He  was  a  miserable  no 
less  than  a  formidable  object  to  look  upon;  and  even  indepen- 
dently of  the  fatal  circumstances  under  which  he  presented  him- 
self before  Maria  Stella,  he  might  easily  have  suggested  to  any 
other  beholder  the  idea  that  he  was  only  the  spectre  of  his  for- 
mer self. 

Paul  Moro  recovered  from  the  astonishment  in  which  the  in- 
conceivable disappearance  of  the  captain  had  thrown  him,  only 
to  be  paralyzed  by  the  effect  that  his  presence  seemed  to  have  on 
the  former  object  of  his  affections.  He  flew  to  her  assistance,  he 
caught  her  up  in  his  arms.  He  called  out  her  name  loudly,  fran- 
tically.    He  roused  the  house  by  his  alarming  cries. 

In  his  moments  of  maddening  despair  in  the  condemned  cell — 
in  his  hours  of  gloomy  loneliness  in  the  bagnio — in  his  first  en- 
trancement  of  emancipation — in  his  deeply  meditated  scheme  of 
revenge,  the  name  of  Stella  had  never  been  associated  in  his 
mind  with  feelings  of  rancour  and  animosity.  He  came  not  to 
harm  her.  Her  unnatural  defection  grieved  him  to  the  very 
core  of  his  heart.  He  mourned  over  the  abyss  into  which  an 
angel  had  fallen.  Her  treachery  had  called  forth  unutterable 
anguish,  irrecoverable  misery,  but  he  could  not  hate  her.  He 
could  never  have  the  heart  to  hurt  her. 

His  long  cherished  revenge  had  a  far  higher  aim ;  his  wrath 
ran  in  a  far  different  channel.  He  came  to  strike  her  seducer 
dead  at  her  feet.  Him  who  had  poisoned  the  atmosphere  in 
which  innocence  breathed,  by  the  foul  breath  of  his  base  flattery 


THE   LAST   OF   THE   CONTRABANDIERI.  175 


— wbo  had  whispered  treason  into  the  incautious  ear  of  an  unso- 
phisticated country  maiden,  and  made  love  an  instrument  of  the 
darkest  perfidy — who  had  darkened  the  sun  in  his  firmament, 
and  shaken  his  belief  in  Grod's  own  justice  and  wrath — him  he 
came  to  stab  to  the  heart ! 

And  meanwhile  his  designed  victim  seemed  to  have  sunk 
underground,  and  Stella  was  fainting — dying  before  him.  Dy- 
ing !  for  all  his  endeavours,  and  those  of  the  servants  who  had 
been  startled  from  their  sleep  and  ran  to  her  assistance,  were 
equally  vain.  Stella's  eyes  were  still  wide  open,  and  seemed  to 
follow  every  movement  of  the  contrabandist,  as  with  violent 
gestures,  with  bursting  sobs,  he  solicited  every  person  in  the 
room  to  lend  a  helping  hand.  But  the  chill  of  death  was  on  her 
darkened  face,  in  her  stiffened  limbs  j  still  forever  was  the 
heavinj;  of  her  breast.  The  conflict  of  violent  emotions  had 
produced  instant  suffocation. 

A  fortnight  after  that  disastrous  night,  Paul  landed  at  Bastia, 
in  Corsica.  Notwithstanding  his  cropped  ears,  the  runaway 
galley-slave  was  enlisted  in  the  foreign  legion,  which  the  French 
government  was  then  fitting  out  for  Africa.  At  the  head  of  the  for- 
lorn hope,  Paul  Moro  distinguished  himself  for  a  few  months 
against  the  Moors  of  Algiers.  The  violence  of  his  onset,  the 
weight  of  his  prodigious  strength,  and  his  recklessness  of  all 
dangers,  enabled  him  to  come  off,  single-handed,  from  many  a 
desperate  engagement.  He  was  heard  of  as  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  a  serjeant,  and  decorated  with  the  Legion  d'Honneur, 
by  the  hand  of  the  commanding  marshal.  These  honours,  and 
more  perhaps,  the  activity  of  that  desultory  campaign,  seemed 
to  have  effaced  from  his  heart  all  painful  reminiscences,  and  re- 
conciled him  to  existence.  One  morning  as  he  was  sent  to 
reconnoitre  at  the  head  of  a  small  detachment  of  light  infantry, 
he  was  struck  on  the  head,  and  carried  away  into  captivity  by 
the  Arabs.  He  must  either  have  died  in  consequence  of  his 
wounds,  or  been  deliberately  put  to  death  by  his  barbarous 
enemy,  as  for  many  years  he  has  never  been  heard  of.  Captain 
Scotti  has  risen  to  the  rank  of  a  colonel  in  the  service  of  the 
Duchess  of  Parma. 


DON  GIRO,  OE  THE  PRIEST-ROBBER. 

This  extraordinary  man,  whose  atrocities  far  exceeded  those  of 
his  contemporaries  (and  sometimes  his  friends)  the  Vardarelli,  wag 
born  in  the  little  Neapolitan  town  of  Grottaglie.  His  parents,  who 
were  in  easy  circumstances,  destined  him  for  the  ecclesiastical 
profession,  which  he  entered  very  young.  Having  gone  through 
the  routine  of  a  priest's  education  at  the  seminario  and  Collegio, 
he  was  in  due  course  of  time  ordained  by  the  Bishop  of  the 
diocese,  and  received  the  mass.  The  brothers  of  Don  Giro, 
most  respectable  farmers,  and  his  uncle  the  Ganon  Patitero 
neither  of  whom  ever  took  any  part  in  his  crimes,  were  alive  and 
in  the  enjoyment  of  unblemished  reputation  a  very  few  years 
ago,  and  are  probably  still  living. 

Don  Giro,  even  at  an  early  period  of  life,  showed  very  great 
talents — qualities  indeed  that  might  almost  claim  the  high 
epithet  of  genius ;  but  unfortunately  he  possessed  also  what  so 
frequently  accompanies  genius,  a  most  ardent  and  passionate 
temperament.  With  a  disposition — a  resistless  impulse  to  love 
ever  working  within  him,  he  was  forbidden  the  indulgence  of 
that  most  natural  and  poteut  of  all  passions  by  his  sacred  pro- 
fession and  his  vows.  Giro  Anacchiarico  unfortunately  became 
enamoured  of  a  lady,  his  own  townswoman.  This  was  the  key 
to  all  his  crimes.  His  passion  was  too  impetuous  to  be  con- 
cealed, and  his  townsfolk  talked  lightly  of  him  :  a  young  man 
of  the  place,  a  schoolfellow,  and  once  a  friend,  met  with  more 
favour  in  the  eyes  of  the  lady,  than  the  priest  could  hope  for 
Giro  saw  evidences  of  this  one  day.  He  rushed  out  of  tho 
house,  and  providing  himself  with  a  gun,  lurked  behind  a  wall 
until  his  rival  should  approach.  The  young  man  came,  but 
never  went  from  the  fatal  spot.  Giro,  who  was  even  then  a  good 
(170) 


THE    PRIEST-ROBBER.  177 


marksman,  shot  him  dead,  and  slunk  away  fancying  to  escape 
discovery.  Some  rumours,  however,  were  soon  raised  by  the 
Motolcsi,  the  fauiily  of  the  priest's  victim.  Giro's  thirst  for 
vengeance  was  not  satisfied  with  one  murder ;  hp  had  vowed  to 
exterminate  the  whole  family  of  the  Motolesi.  Their  murmured 
suspicions  perhaps  hastened  their  fate ;  and  one  after  the  other 
every  individual  of  that  house,  save  one,  had  disappeared  from 
the  little  town  of  Grottaglie.  (The  individual  who  escaped 
lived  shut  up  in  his  house  for  several  years,  without  ever  daring 
to  go  out,  and  the  unhappy  being,  even  fifteen  years  after  the 
murder  of  his  kindred,  thought  that  a  snare  was  laid  for  him 
when  people  came  to  tell  him  of  the  imprisonment,  and  shortly 
after,  of  the  death  of  his  remorseless  enemy;  and  it  was  with 
great  difficulty  that  he  was  induced  to  quit  his  retreat.) 

When  he  had  gratified  his  revenge,  and  found  that  the  tardy 
justice  of  his  country  was  about  to  proceed  against  him,  he  fled 
from  his  native  town.  Whether  he  became  a  brigand  then,  does 
not  appear ;  but  he  shortly  after  played  his  part  of  a  hero, 
for  on  learning  that  the  government,  ever  injudicious  and  tyran- 
nical, had  thrown  his  innocent  brothers  into  prison,  "  he  flew," 
he  said,  "  on  the  wings  of  fraternal  love"  to  efl"ect  their  release, 
and  presented  himself  to  the  extraordinary  judiciary  commission 
of  Apulia  sitting  at  Trani.  The  innocence  of  his  brothers  was 
made  evident,  and  they  were  released,  but  all  the  ingenuity  and 
eloquence  of  the  Abbe  (for  he  had  attained  that  sacerdotal  grade) 
could  not  save  himself.  Capital  punishment,  however,  was  then 
rare  in  the  kingdom  of  Naples,  and  convicted  and  manifold  mur- 
derer as  he  was,  he  was  only  sentenced  to  the  galley  for  fifteen 
years.  For  four  years  he  was  confined  in  the  most  horrid  dun- 
geons, never  being  sent  to  the  place  appointed  for  his  transporta- 
tion, though  he  several  times  petitioned  for  that  removal,  which 
would  have  enabled  him  to  breathe  fresh  air  at  least  for  a  certain 
number  of  hours  each  day.  It  would  be  too  horrible  to  reflect 
on  the  workings  of  a  mind  like  his,  in  darkness  and  utter  soli- 
tude— in  a  very  hell  !  from  which,  as  might  be  expected  he 
came  out  a  fiend  indeed  ! 


178  THE   PRIEST-ROBBER. 


At  the  expiration  of  the  fourth  year  of  his  dreadful  ccnfine- 
ment,  he  contrived  to  escape.  But  whither  could  he  go  without 
friends  or  money  ?  The  government  of  his  country  had  now 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  French,  who  exercised  it  with  more 
energy  than  the  old  Bourbons.  But  the  provinces,  as  I  have 
already  explained,  were  overrun  by  desperate  men,  in  whom,  for 
a  long  time,  were  confounded  the  characters  of  brigands  and  po- 
litical partizans.  The  Abate  Giro,  therefore,  went  and  joined 
one  of  the  most  notorious  of  these  bands,  which  soon  acknowl- 
edged him  as  their  chief,  and  grew  in  numbers  and  prospered 
under  his  guidance  and  fostering  talents.  Under  other  cir- 
cumstances he  might  have  been  an  excellent  soldier — he  turned 
out  a  most  accomplished  bandit.  Not  one  of  the  band  could  fire 
his  rifle  with  so  sure  an  aim,  or  mount  his  horse  like  the  priest 
Don  Giro.  In  the  course  of  his  vagabond  and  hard  life,  being 
obliged  to  hide  for  seasons  in  the  most  horrible  holes  of  the 
rocks  or  depths  of  the  forest,  and  not  unfrequently  suffering  the 
want  of  the  merest  necessaries  for  human  sustenance,  he  ac- 
quired a  strength  of  constitution,  a  resoluteness  of  purpose,  and 
an  adroitness  and  cunning  the  most  remarkable,  even  among 
men  whose  modes  of  life,  of  necessity,  confirmed  and  strength- 
ened the  same  qualities. 

One  of  his  first  exploits  after  escaping  from  the  dungeons  of 
Lecce,  was  to  penetrate  with  his  satellites  into  one  of  the  first 
houses  of  the  little  town  of  Martano,  where  after  having  offered 
violence  to  the  person  of  its  mistress,  he  murdered  her,  and  all 
her  people,  and  decamped  with  a  large  sum  of  ready  money. 
This  deed  was  followed  up  by  numerous  crimes  of  the  like 
nature,  until  what  with  truth,  and  a  little  natural  exaggeration, 
the  amount  of  delinquencies  was  most  fearful,  and  nothing  was 
heard  of  but  Giro  Anacchiarico.  This  was  so  much  the  case,  that 
some  years  after,  when  he  thought  it  expedient  to  send  in  a  justi- 
fication of  his  conduct,  he  said  that,  "  whatever  robbery,  what 
ever  murder,  whatever  assassination  was  committed  on  the  face 
of  the  earth,  was  instantly  attributed  to  the  Abate  Anacchiarico. '^ 

The  extent  of  this  reputation  could  not  but  be  dangerous  tc 


THE   PRIEST-ROBBER.  179 


him — yet  he  continued,  year  after  year,  to  elude  every  pursuit, 
and  to  baffle  the  many  hundreds  of  soldiers  that  were  oceasion- 
ally  sent  against  him.  He  was  always  well  mounted.  A  retreat 
of  thirty  or  forty  miles  in  a  day  was  as  nothing  to  him — and 
even  when  confidential  spies  had  revealed  the  place  of  his  con- 
cealment but  a  few  hours  before,  and  his  pursuers  came  upon 
him  with  the  full  confidence  that  they  should  take  him  at  last, 
his  skill  and  activity  always  served  him  at  need,  and  he  escaped. 
This  singular  good  fortune,  or  rather  talent,  of  being  able  to 
extricate  himself  from  the  most  imminent  dangers,  acquired  for 
him,  among  the  people,  the  valuable  reputation  of  a  necroman- 
cer, upon  whom  ordinary  means  of  attack  had  no  power;  and 
Giro,  becoming  aware  of  this,  neglected  nothing  which  could 
confirm  the  idea,  and  increase  the  sort  of  spell  it  produced  upon 
the  ignorant  superstitious  peasants.  The  country  people,  indeed, 
soon  carried  their  fears  so  far,  that  they  dared  not  execrate  or 
even  blame  Don  Giro  in  his  absence,  so  firmly  were  they  per- 
suaded that  his  demon  would  immediately  inform  him  of  it  and 
render  them  obnoxious  to  his  bloody  revenge. 

Meanwhile,  a  robber  by  profession — an  unholy  wizard  in  the 
imaginations  of  other  men — a  devil  in  reality,  Don  Giro  never 
wholly  relinquished  his  sacerdotal  character;  on  the  contrary  he 
would  frequently  perform  its  functions,  celebrating  the  mass  and 
other  solemn  rites  to  the  banditti — who  are  generally  found  in 
Italy  to  have  a  strong  relish  for  religion,  such  as  it  is,  and  who 
will  send  a  knife  into  your  bosom  while  a  crucifix  and  a  reliquary 
repose  upon  their  own.  Further  to  strengthen  the  anomaly  of 
his  position  as  a  priest,  he  was  accustomed  to  declare  the  whole 
Gatholic  priesthood  rogues  without  fiiith ;  and  he  affected  him- 
self a  very  libertine  character,  addicting  himself  in  a  particular 
manner  to  the  perusal  of  indecent  French  songs,  a  whole  collec- 
tion of  which  was  once  found  in  his  portfolio.  Moreover,  his 
passion  for  one  woman  generalised  itself;  and  besides  its  acci- 
dental gratification,  he  had,  at  the  period  of  his  power,  mis- 
tresses in  all  the  towns  of  the  province, 

The  other  bands  of  banditti,  compared  with  the  priest's  rob- 


180  THE   PRIEST-ROBBER. 


bers,  were  angels  of  mercy.  Yet  iu  the  course  of  perpetrating 
the  most  ruthless  crimes,  Don  Giro  would  sometimes  indulge  in 
whims  to  which  he  tried  to  give  an  air  of  generosity.  General 
D'Ottavio,  a  Corsican  in  the  service  of  Murat,  had  long  been 
pursuing  him  with  a  thousand  men.  One  day  Giro,  whose  auda- 
city was  frequently  quite  romantic,  armed  at  all  points,  sur- 
prised the  general,  unarmed,  and  alone,  walking  in  his  own  gar- 
den. He  discovered  himself — pronounced  his  dreaded  name, 
and  remarked,  that  the  life  of  the  general,  who  sought  his  life, 
was  in  his  hands.  "■  But,"  said  he,  "  I  will  pardon  you  this 
time,  although  I  shall  cease  to  be  so  indulgent  if  you  continue 
to  hunt  me  about  with  such  fury  !"  Thus  saying  he  leaped  over 
the  garden  wall  and  disappeared 

When  King  Ferdinand  was  restored  to  his  States  on  the  Con- 
tinental side  of  the  Faro  by  the  great  political  game  of  Europe, 
in  which  he  had  been  about  as  neutral  as  a  marker  in  whist,  he 
recalled  as  I  have  already  mentioned,  such  as  had  heeM  fuorusciti 
for  political  opinions.  There  were  many  robbers  in  this  number, 
but  Giro  Anacchiarico's  crimes  were  of  too  deep  a  dye.  Yet 
this  bold  villain  did  not  fear  to  present  himself  to  the  public 
authorities  at  Lecce,  claiming  his  majesty's  amnesty.  The  magis- 
trates gave  him  a  safe  conduct  to  the  city  of  Bari,  where  he  was 
to  reside,  under  the  eye  of  the  police  for  the  present.  He  pre- 
tended afterwards  that  he  felt  remorse  and  repentance  at  this 
time,  and  even  entertained  a  serious  idea  of  shutting  himself  up 
in  the  college  of  the  Missionaries,  and  passing  the  rest  of  his 
days  in  fasting  and  prayers.  "  I  was  on  the  point,"  says  he  in 
his  justification,  "  of  following  up  my  noble  resolution,  when  the 
thunderbolt  burst  upon  my  head  (allorche  intesi  lo  scroscio  de 
violcntissimo  fulmine,  die  se  scagliova  sul  mio  capo.)  Ah!  lei 
it  be  permitted  me,  most  respectable  seignors,  to  exclaim  thii 
moment  with  jEneas)  call'  JE/iea  di  Virgilio — the  robber  had 
not  quite  forgotten  his  classics !) 

'Infandum — jubete  vos — renovarc  dolorem.' 

"  I  have  not  force  enough  to  express  to  you,  how  my  heart 
was  rent,  or  the  deplorable  state  which  I  miserably  sank  into 


THE    PRIEST-ROBBER.  181 


when  I  was  secretly  informed  by  a  faithful  friend,  that  my  arrest 
was  ordered  ou  the  cruel  accusation  of  having  infringed  the 
royal  mandate.  I  vanished  like  lightning  from  13ari  3  I  went  to 
the  capital  to  obtain  redress,  and  to  discover  once  more  the  black 
conspiracy  against  me.  All  was  vain.  The  hopes  I  had  che- 
rished disappeared ;  and  while  perplexed  as  to  the  steps  I  ought 
to  take,  the  power  of  my  relentless  persecutors  prevailed.  At 
last  I  left  the  capital,  and  guided  only  by  that  fortitude  and  con- 
sistency so  necessary  in  my  misfortunes,  I  betook  myself  to  my 
old  haunts  in  the  solitude  of  the  forests,  and  recommenced  a 
savage  and  wretched  life." 

It  was  at  the  end  of  1815;  towai'ds  the  termination  of  the 
following  year,  Don  Giro,  having  well  employed  the  intervening 
time,  and  now  taking  the  alarm  at  the  adoption  of  vigorous  mea- 
sures by  the  government  to  put  down  the  brigands,  conceived  the 
bold  idea  of  uniting  the  various  bauds  of  robbers  and  outlaws, 
of  whatever  faction  or  denomination,  to  oppose  the  march  of  the 
king's  troops  with  all  the  forces  they  could  muster,  and  other- 
wise to  assert  henceforward  one  common  cause. 

The  Vardarelli,  the  most  conspicuous  of  the  robbers,  were 
then  enjoying  the  honours  of  their  royal  capitulation  and  were 
in  the  king's  pay;  but  Giro  knew  there  were  grounds  of  fear 
and  dissatisfaction  existing  among  them,  and  hoped  to  induce 
them  to  "  turn  out"  again.  He  therefore  invited  them,  with  the 
chiefs  of  other  bands  to  a  personal  conference,  in  order,  in  the 
first  place  to  treat  of  the  measures  to  be  pursued  against  General 
Church,  who  was  coming  into  their  provinces  at  the  head  of  the 
king's  troops;  and  these  worthies  had,  accordingly,  two  different 
interviews,  the  first  at  the  end  of  181G,  in  a  little  deserted 
chapel  where  Don  Giro  celebrated  mass  before  he  began  the  con- 
ference, and  the  second  in  the  month  of  March  or  April  1817, 
in  a  farm  between  S.  Ermo  and  Gioja.  Gaetano  Vardarelli  dif- 
fered as  to  the  propriety  of  a  junction.  He  represented  that  it 
would  be  well  to  act  in  concert,  but  still  separately,  and  that 
they  ought  by  all  means  to  avoid  a  general  insurrection,  of 
which  they  might  easily  become  the  victims.     "As  long,"  said 

IG 


182  THE   PRIEST-ROBBER. 


he,  "as  our  bands  are  not  numerous,  Government  will  be  de- 
ceived, and  make  war  upon  us  feebly,  as  it  does  now ',  but  as 
soon  as  we  form  ourselves  into  a  more  important  body,  it  will  be 
forced  to  send  an  array  against  us."  It  appeared  that  the  Var- 
darelli,  though  dissatisfied,  were  inclined  to  wait  events ;  and 
their  advice,  or  non-adhesion  overset  Don  Giro's  grand  plan. 

But  still  bolder  and  more  comprehensive  was  the  nest  project 
of  this  extraordinary  man.  Seeing  the  country  overrun  by  sects 
and  secret  societies,  which  under  the  names  of  Carbonari,  &c, 
aimed  at  political  changes,  differing  in  quality,  but  all  equal  in 
absurdity,  and  some  of  which  exercised  vengeance  too  horrible 
and  rites  too  disgusting  or  ridiculous  to  mention, — he  fancied 
that,  by  placing  himself  at  the  head  of  one  of  these,  he  could 
not  only  gratify  his  passion  for  plunder  and  revenge,  but  ulti- 
mately erect  himself  into  the  chief  of  a  wonderful  republic, 
whose  influences  were  to  be  felt,  not  over  Naples  or  Italy  alone, 
but  over  the  whole  extent  of  Europe,  whose  monarchs,  whether 
constitutional  or  absolute,  were  all  to  sink  under  the  dagger  of  his 
votaries.  Giro  Anacchiarico  does  not  appear  to  have  created 
either,  but  to  have  united  two  of  these  mysterious  societies  of 
cut-throats,  who  had  assumed  the  names,  the  one  of  "  I  Patrioti 
Europei,"  (The  European  Patriots,)  the  other  of  "  I  Decisi," 
(The  Decided  or  llesolute.)  If  the  affiliation  I  have  heard 
traced  be  correct,  these  sects  both  rose  out  of  the  Garbonari;  and 
the  moderate  and  respectable  men — and  there  were  many  and 
many  thousands  such — of  that  secret  society,  ought  to  have 
paused  and  shuddered  when  they  saw  how  easily  their  conduct 
might  be  imitated  and  perverted,  and  to  what  horrors  secret  so- 
cieties might  be  turned.  These  associations  of  the  "  patriots" 
and  the  "  Decided"  increased  rapidly,  from  the  weakness  of  the 
Government  in  neglecting,  at  first,  to  punish  the  guilty,  and 
from  the  notorious  corruption  of  the  inferior  Government  officers 
and  lower  clergy.  It  was  found  that  priests  were  attached  to  all 
their  camps  or  ramifications.  Besides  our  robber-priest,  Don 
Giro,  whose  superior  talent  and  remorseless  mode  of  proceeding 
soon  put  him  at  the  head  of  the  whole,   the   arch-priest  Cirinu 


THE   PRIEST-ROBBER.  18B 


Cicillo,  of  Cacaniola,  Vcrgine,  of  Corogliano,  and  Leggeri,  filled 
iuiportant  situations  in  the  sect.  The  arch-priest  Zurlo,  of  Val- 
sano,  particularly  distinguished  himself,  and  in  his  native  town, 
and  on  Christmas  eve,  he  renewed  a  scene  of  the  middle  ages, — 
he  celebrated  the  midnight  mass  armed  from  head  to  foot ! 

As  soon  as  the  bands  (compared  to  whom  the  avowed  brigands 
had  hitherto  been  moderate  and  decorous  associations)  had  ac- 
quired some  strength,  they  sent  detachments  into  nearly  every 
town  and  village  in  Apulia.  Supported  by  a  larger  troop  in  the 
neighbourhood,  they  soon  became  the  despotic  masters  of  solitary 
or  insulated  places.  A  horde  of  twenty  or  thirty  of  these  ruf- 
fians, who  pretended  a  more  peculiar  inspiration  of  republicanism 
and  secret-societyship,  overran  the  country,  disguised  and  masked 
as  Punchinellos,  comir.ittiug  atrocities,  in  more  ways  than  one, 
too  unnatural  and  loathsome  to  bear  repeating. 

The  most  horrid  crime  perpetrated  by  the  priest  Don  Giro  was 
under  the  disguise  of  the  national  buffoon.  There  was  a  beauti- 
ful woman  in  a  remote  village,  of  whom  he  had  become  passion- 
ately enamoured  (after  his  fashion)  but  whom  neither  his  pre- 
sents, his  promises,  nor  his  threats,  could  seduce.  It  was  carni- 
val time,  and  on  a  certain  evening,  she  and  her  relations  and 
friends  were  enjoying  the  pleasures  of  a  dance  and  a  feast.  Don 
Giro  and  several  of  his  more  desperate  adherents,  came  to  the 
house,  disguised  as  Punchinellos.  At  that  season  of  madness, 
every  house,  where  an  entertainment  is  going  on,  is  open,  and  as 
all  the  neighbourhood  are  masking  and  mumming,  it  is  of  course 
not  easy,  nor  is  it  attempted,  to  distinguish  who  the  thronging 
guests  may  be.  Don  Giro  proved  himself  an  acceptable  one  by 
bringing  a  plentiful  supply  of  excellent  wine,  in  which  he -and 
his  comrades  pledged  the  company,  and  drank  hrindisis,  or 
rhymed  toasts,  of  admirable  facetiousness. 

They  then  joined  the  dance,  the  disguised  priest  selecting  the 
happy  and  unsuspecting  object  of  his  passion   for  his  partner. 

After  numerous  tarantellas,  which,  of  all  the  dances  I  have 
seen,  are  the  most  calculated  to  irritate  voluptuousness,  the  party 
sat  down  to  an   abundant  supper,  the  punch-robber-priest  still 


184  THE    PRIEST-ROBBER. 


occupying  the  ear  of  the  beautiful  paesana,  and  only  detaching 
his  attention  from  her  to  make  the  party  drink.  As  for  himself, 
he  merely  touched  the  wine  with  his  lips,  and  so  remained  per- 
fectly sober,  whilst  all  the  rest  of  the  men  were  fast  approaching 
intoxication. 

At  what  he  considered  an  opportune  moment,  he  quitted  his 
punchinello  squeak,  resumed  his  natural  voice,  made  himself 
known  to  the  woman,  and  again  pleaded  his  passion.  The  pool' 
creature  was  as  averse  as  ever.  He  then  rose,  beckoned  to  his 
companions,  and  wishing  the  festive  party  good  night,  left  the 
house, — which  in  half  an  hour,  was  wrapped  in  flames.  And 
so  well  laid  were  the  robber's  matches,  and  so  drunk  and  stupi- 
fied  were  the  revelling  peasants,  whose  wine  had  been  drugged, 
that  they  all  perished  in  the  conflagration.  Don  Giro  himself, 
when  in  prison,  and  in  the  power  of  General  Church,  from 
which  he  knew  there  was  no  escape,  related  this  atrocious  exploit 
nor  did  the  near  prospect  of  death  induce  him  to  make  a  single 
expression  of  remorse.  He  dwelt  on  the  beauty  of  his  victim, 
and  his  still  existing  mortification  at  his  not  having  obtained  her 
love,  boasting  that  he  had  not  often  been  so  disappointed. 

In  places  where  open  force  could  not  be  employed,  the  most 
daring  disciples  were  sent  in  secrecy  to  watch  the  moment  to 
execute  the  sentences  of  death  pronounced  in  the  mysterious 
society.  In  this  manner,  the  sectary  Perone  plunged  his  knife 
into  the  bowels  of  an  old  man  of  seventy — the  respectable  Del' 
Aglio,  of  Franeavilla,  and  afterwards  massacred  his  wife  and 
vservant,  having  introduced  himself  into  their  house,  under  the 
pretence  of  delivering  a  letter ;  and  in  this  manner,  the  justice 
of,  peace  of  Luogo  Rotondo  and  his  wife  were  assassinated  in 
their  own  garden. 

These  bloody  sectaries  would  not  suffer  neutrality :  it  was  ab- 
solutely necessary  to  join  them,  or  to  live  exposed  to  their  ven- 
geance which  appeared  to  be  inevitable.  The  society  would  pass 
a  secret  sentence  of  death,  and  proceed  at  once  to  its  execution, 
or,  if  necessary,  an  individual  would  take  the  office  upon  himself 
and  wait  days  and  nights,  until  he  could  strike  the  blo^v.     The 


feE   PRIEST-ROBBER.  185 


Old  man  of  the  Mountains  seemed  risen  from  the  grave — the 
Apulian  sectaries  were  as  sanguinary  and  unerring  as  his  tre- 
mendous satellites  had  been. 

They  did  not  invite  the  support  of  the  rich  proprietors  and 
persons  of  distinction,  against  whom  their  hostilities  were  to  be 
directed ;  but  they  unhappily  found  partizans  among  the  less 
wealthy ;  and  some  few  of  the  inferior  gentry,  who  were  jealous 
of  the  high  nobility,  also  joined  them.  These  men  would  pro- 
bably have  blushed  at  the  idea  of  becoming  brigands,  yet  could 
there  be  a  more  detestable  species  of  brigandage,  than  what  was 
revealed  to  them  by  Don  Giro  and  his  associates  ?  Even  allow- 
ing that  parts  of  his  plan  were  not  divulged  to  the  more  respect- 
able of  his  sectaries,  (who,  in  the  long  run,  must  have  been  the 
victims  of  the  more  villanous,)  yet  what  sympathy  can  be  in- 
spired by  the  political  aspirations  of  men  who  could  ally  them- 
selves with  known  robbers  and  murderers,  like  Anacchiaro  and 
his  gang  ?  The  Government,  instead  of  summoning  the  opulent 
proprietors  to  its  assistance,  offended  and*  disgusted  them  by  dis- 
trust. A  meeting  at  the  fair  of  Galantina,  to  deliberate  on  the 
means  of  checking  the  disorders,  was  cried  down,  and  treated  at 
Naples  as  a  revolutionary  proceeding.  In  extenuation,  however, 
of  this  seeming  imprudence  of  Government  it  must  be  men- 
tioned, that  many  of  these  gentlemen  or  noblemen,  resident  on 
their  estates  in  the  provinces,  were  themselves  members  of  secret 
societies,  which  had  all  a  political  scope ;  they  were  not  Patriot! 
Europei,  or  Decisi,  but  they  were  Carbonari : — this  I,  being  in 
the  country,  both  before  and  after  the  events  under  discussion, 
know  very  well — the  Neapolitan  government  also  knew  it,  and 
they  could  hardly  draw  a  line  between  the  sects,  the  objects  of 
all  of  which,  as  already  mentioned,  were  revolutionary,  and  they 
feared  all  the  secret  societies  alike.  In  the  winter  of  1816 — 17, 
I  saw,  partly  accidentally,  and  partly  through  circumstances, 
which  I  did  not  seek,  but  which  it  would  be  dishonourable 
to  disclose,  a  re-union  of  these  gentlemen.  Some  were  pro- 
vincial nobility,  some  noblemen  from  Naples,  who  only  oc- 
casionally resided  on  their  estates,  some  were   substantial  far- 

10-^:- 


186  THE    PRIEST-ROBBfR. 


jtners.  The  hour  of  rendezvous  was  midnight — the  house  se- 
lected a  solitary  one,  and  the  members  of  the  club  came  singly 
or  in  parties  of  two  or  three  each,  on  horseback,  and  without  any 
attendants.  This  appearance  of  mystery  and  night-plotting, 
though  sufficiently  romantic,  did  not  captivate  me  much,  and 
young  as  I  was,  I  could  not  help  feeling  that  the  outward  and 
visible  showing  of  these  regenerators  or  reformers,  was  against 
them.  As  one  of  the  uninitiated,  I  was  not  admitted  to  their  de- 
liberations; but  I  was  informed  that  they  all  tended  to  the  esta- 
^ishment  of  a  constitutional  government  in  the  kingdom  of  the 
Two  Sicilies. 

When  the  Deeisi  became  so  formidable,  these  gentlemen, 
however,  showed  the  purity  of  their  intentions,  by  aiding  the 
Government  to  their  utmost,  as  soon  as  more  energy  was  shown, 
and  by  co-operating  with  General  Church,  with  whom  many  indi- 
viduals of  this  class  served  both  as  officers  and  private  volunteers. 

But  at  the  same  time.  General  Pastore,  Commandant  of  these 
provinces,  and  the  Mafquis  Predicatella,  Intendant  of  Lecce,  in- 
flamed party  spirit  by  imitating  the  system  of  Canosain  and 
setting  up  private  societies  to  work  against  private  societies  :  the 
national  guard,  under  their  orders,  suffered  itself  to  be  partly 
seduced  by  the  Patrioti  and  Deeisi  sectaries,  and  a  number  of 
soldiers  and  some  officers  of  the  Crown  battalion  of  reserve^  were 
similarly  corrupted. 

The  number  of  these  daring  sectaries  had  arrived  at  its 
greatest  height  in  the  month  of  December  1817,  or  of  January 
1818.  At  this  period  they  were  estimated  at  20,000  men  !  The 
mass  of  them  lived  at  home,  in  apparent  tranquillity,  on  the  pro- 
duce of  their  professions ;  but  they  were  not  the  less  active  in 
committing  unheard-of  crimes,  as  their  detection  was  the  more 
difficult.  Persons  bavc  been  known,  when  in  the  power,  and 
under  the  daggers  of  these  ruffians,  to  sign  contracts  for  the  sale 
of  their  houses  and  lands,  the  objects  of  the  cupidity  of  these 
desperadoes ;  the  contracts  were  executed  in  all  the  forms  of  the 
law,  and  acknowledgments  were  given  by  the  unfortunate 
owners  for  sums  which  they  had  never  received. 


THE   TRIEST-ROBBER.  187 


The  sittings  of  these  societies  were,  at  first,  in  the  night,  like 
the  more  respectable  re-uuion  I  have  mentioned,  and  were  care- 
fuUj'  guarded  by  sentinels ;  their  military  exercises  took  place  in 
solitary  houses,  or  suppressed  and  deserted  convents ;  but  taking 
courage  by  degrees,  they  were  afterwards  seen  performing  their 
evolutions  by  day,  and  in  the  open  air.  Most  of  them  had  fire- 
arms ;  all  had  poniards.  They  also  began  to  organize  a  corps  of 
cavalry. 

The  patent  of  this  society  sufficiently  explained  its  objects. 
It  was  an  oblong,  square  paper,  or  parchment.  Two  of  the 
angles  were  ornamented  with  a  skull,  over  one  of  which  was  in- 
scribed "Sadness,"  and  the  word  "Death"  over  the  other.  The 
opposite  angles  had  cross-bones,  with  the  inscriptions  "  Terror" 
and  "  Mourning."  On  the  top  of  the  patent  were  the  fasces  and 
the  cap  of  liberty,  planted  upon  a  death's  head,  and  supported 
by  two  axes.  At  the  bottom  was  a  thunderbolt  darting  from  a 
cloud,  and  shivering  the  royal  crowns  and  the  papal  tiara. 
Stripes  of  yellow,  red,  and  blue,  the  tri-colour  of  the  society, 
surrounded  the  patent.     The  words  of  the  patent  were  these  : 

"  The  Salentine  Decision. 

Health. 
No. Grand  Masons. 

"  The  Decision  of  Jupiter  the  Thunderer  hopes  to  make  war 
against  the  tyrants  of  the  Universe,"  &c.  (^Tliese  words  of 
which  onli/  the  initials  xuere  given,  were  written  in  hlood,  as  were 
several  other  parts  of  the  document.^ 

"  The  mortal is  a  Brother  Decided.     No.  — ,  belonging  to 

the  Decision  of  Jupiter  the  Thunderer,  spread  over  the  face  of 
the  earthy  by  his  decision,  has  had  the  pleasure  of  belonging 
to  this  Salentine  Kepublican  Decision.  We  invite,  therefore,  all 
Philanthropic  Societies  to  lend  their  strong  arm  to  the  same,  and 
to  assist  him  in  his  wants,  he   having  come  to  the  Decision,  that 

he  will  obtain  Liberty  or  Death.     Dated  this  day,  the of 

,"  &c. 


188  THE    PRIEST-ROBBER. 


Here  followed  three  signatures  written  in  blood. 

1st.  Of  the  Grand  Master,  with  four  points  after  it,  wLi^'b 
indicated  his  power  of  passing  sentence  of  death.* 

2d.  Of  the  Second  Decided. 

3d.  Of  the  Register  of  the  Dead,  whose  functions  did  not  re- 
late to  the  deceased  members  of  the  society,  but  to  the  victims 
they  immolated,  and  of  whom  they  kept  a  register  apart,  on  the 
margin  of  which  were  found  blasphemies  and  most  infernal 
projects. 

The  excesses  of  such  a  society,  directed  by  such  a  man  or 
monster,  as  Giro  Anacchiaro,  may  be  easily  conceived.  But 
they  were  now  drawing  to  their  close.  General  Church,  armed 
with  the  Royal  Alter-Ego,  or  with  full  and  unlimited  power,  was 
sent  into  these  distracted  provinces,  where  his  energetic  and  pru- 
dent conduct  cannot  be  too  much  praised.  He  crossed  the  river 
Ofanto  in  the  Apulian  plain  with  1200  men,  chiefly  of  the 
foreign  regiments  in  the  Neapolitan  service,  formed  by  himself : 
among  them  some  companies  of  cavalry.  He  could  depend  upon 
this  force,  which  was  for  the  greater  part  composed  of  Germans, 
Swiss,  Moreotes,  and  Albanians.  The  soldiery  already  in  the 
country  were  only  to  be  depended  upon,  after  they  had  witnessed 
the  firm  determination  with  which  the  General  set  about  his  duty, 
and  after  the  factious  individuals,  contaminated  by  the  sectaries, 
had  been  weeded  out.     The  same  was  the  case  with  the  militia. 

Encouraged  by  the  example  set  them  by  the  Dukes  of  San 
Cesareo  and  Monte  Jasi,  and  others  of  the  nobility  and  wealthy 
proprietors,  several  individuals  even  of  the  lowest  class,  fur- 
nished information  concerning  Don  Giro  and  his  sectaries,  and 
joined  heart  and  hand  in  the  measures  for  their  extermination. 
The  fear  of  not  being  supported  had  hitherto  prevented  these 
honest  men  from  acting ;  but  still  the  greater  part  of  the  inferior 
order  were  shy  and  silent,  maintaining  a  line  of  conduct  which 
indicated  that  they  would  not  hesitate  to  declare  for  the  sectaries, 
if  the  latter  should  succeed  against  General  Church.  This  was 
particularly  observed  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Taranto,  at  Grot- 


THE   rPJEST-KOBEER.  189 


taglic,  San  Marzano,  Martina,  and  Francavilla,  the  usual  haunts 
of  Don  Giro  Anacchiarico  and  his  friends.  When  General 
Church  fii'st  visited  these  places,  the  inhabitants  looked  on  in 
gloomy  silence,  and  no  person  saluted  him ;  a  poor  old  monk 
was  the  only  person  who  bowed  to  him. 

The  bandits  and  the  banished  were  summoned  for  the  last  time 
before  the  Royal  Commission  at  Lecce.  Don  Ciro  sent  in  his 
justification,  (a  most  remarkable  composition,  with  considerable 
eloquence  and  ingenuity,  and  more  impudence  than  can  enter  our 
conceptions ;)  but  knowing  his  pardon  to  be  hopeless,  instead  of 
presenting  himself  in  person,  he  prepared  to  defend  himself 
by  his  sectaries  and  arms. 

General  Church  then  made  his  military  dispositions.  He  di- 
vided his  troops  into  moveable  columns,  and  placed  garrisons 
upon  some  points  Avhere  thoy  were  absolutely  required  either 
from  their  commanding  the  vast  plains  of  the  country,  or 
because  they  wei'e  strong  eu  ugh  to  strvc  as  places  of  retreat 
for  the  brigands  The  moveible  coluimis  all  operated  towards 
a  common  centre,  by  gradiuilly  contracting  the  circle  which 
embraced  the  towns  of  Grottaglie,  San  Marzano,  and  Franca- 
villa.  Other  columns  of  reserve  accompanied  the  General, 
who  proceeded,  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning,  wherever  the 
spies  had  traces  of  Ciro  Anacchiarico. 

At  first,  confident  in  his  resources,  material  and  moral,  the 
brigand-priest  set  a  price  on  the  head  of  the  bold  Englishman, 
bat  the  General's  proceedings  soon  undeceived  him,  and  he  wad 
heard  to  murmur,  while  biting  his  thumb  in  token  of  rage  and 
disappointment,  "  This  is  a  different  sort  of  man  from  those  they 
have  hitherto  sent  against  me  !  I  have  fooled  many  a  General — 
French,  Italian,  and  Neapolitan,  but  this  one  will  end  by  making 
a  fool  of  me  !" 

He  began  to  perceive  that  his  resources  became  day  by  day 
weaker  and  weaker ;  his  credit  with  the  people  of  the  country 
was  no  longer  what  it  had  been ;  his  jirestiye  was  eclipsed  to 
their  eyes,  and  he  had  to  dread  that  those  who  were  still  faithful 
to  him,  would  soon  fall  from  his  side.     If  he  could,  he  would 


190  THE   PRIEST-ROBBER. 


then  have  escaped  from  the  country  which  had  so  long  trembled 
at  his  name.  He  privately  reached  the  port  of  Brindisi,  where 
he  attempted  to  embark;  but  the  captain  of  the  vessel  recog- 
nized him,  and  demanded  2000  ducats  as  the  price  of  his  safety; 
not  having  them  about  him  to  give,  he  wrote  to  his  friends,  who 
refused  to  advance  the  sum. 

Pressed  and  surrounded  more  and  more  closely,  pent  in  the 
arena,  tied  to  the  stake,  Don  Giro  resolved  to  risk  a  general  rising 
of  such  of  his  allies  as  continued  desperate,  and  a  pitched  battle 
with  the  Royal  troops.  He  fixed  the  27th  of  February  1S18 
for  this  purpose,  and  appointed  the  place  of  rendezvous  under  the 
walls  of  San  Marzano,  but  his  final  catastrophe  preceded  that 
date ! 

Giro  Anacchiarico  set  out  from  Grottaglie  on  the  25th  of  Jan- 
uary 1818,  with  forty  horseman  and  ten  foot.  At  two  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  he  fell  in  with  a  detachment  of  General 
Church's  cavalry,  commanded  by  Captain  Montorj,  who  charged 
him,  and  drove  him  as  far  as  Neviera,  a  farm  at  the  foot  of  the 
hill  of  San  Marzano.  Giro  there  made  a  short  stand,  and  then 
retreated  up  to  the  town  itself  in  tolerably  good  order. 

Captain  Montorj  followed  and  attempted  to  enter  by  the  steep 
and  narrow  path  which  wound  up  to  the  town  ;  but  Giro  and 
his  adherents  of  San  Marzano  repulsed  him.  The  officer  then 
turned  the  hill  in  (irdcr  to  st-.ile  it  on  the  side  of  Manduria,  but 
there  too  he  was  received  by  a  shower  of  balls.  He  observed,  how- 
ever, that  these  were  the  same  men  who  had  repulsed  him  in 
the  foi-mer  attempt  and  had  followed  his  movements,  and  hence 
concluded  that  they  were  not  sufficiently  numerous  to  defend  all 
the  points  at  once,  and  that  he  should  gain  his  object  by  de- 
ceiving them.  Concealing  himself  behind  one  of  the  garden 
walls,  he  drew  the  robbers'  attention  by  firing  a  carbine  or  two 
in  that  dircciioii,  and  thon  he  suddenly  appeared  in  the  opposite 
direodou  foliuvvcd  by  iiiuat  cf  his  men.  The  stratagem  suc- 
ceeded :  Montorj  entered  San  Marzano,  and  the  panic-struck 
followers  of  Giro  rVsp^r*'^'!.  The  great  object  was  to  secure 
Giro ;  but  he  was  not   to  be  found  :  he  had  made  another  (per 


DON  GIRO. 


P.  190. 


THE   PRIEST-ROBBER.  191 


haps  the  huudrcdth)  of  his  wonderful  escapes,  and  was  safe  in 
the  open  country  before  the  infantry  of  a  moveable  column 
arrived,  which  it  did  immediately  after  his  flight  from  the  town. 

An  instant  census  was  taken  of  San  Marzano,  the  mayor  of 
which  suggested  to  Major  Bianchi,  the  commander  of  the  column, 
a  method  of  discovering  the  delinquents.  Every  house  was 
searched,  and  the  guilty  were  recognized  by  the  smell  or  the 
blackness  of  their  hands,  a  proof  of  their  having  recently 
handled  fire-arms  and  powder.  Vito  Serio,  the  brothers  Fran- 
cesco and  Angelo  Vito  Lecce,  Kaflfaelle  Zaccharia,  and  Pictro 
Barbuzzi  were  arrested,  and  all  executed  on  the  3d  of  February, 
at  Fraucavilla.  (Their  heads  were  placed  in  front  of  the  church 
of  San  Marzano.  This  church  was  blown  down  by  a  hurricane 
Foiiie  mouths  after,  and  the  heads  were  buried  beneath  its  ruins.) 
Major  Bianchi  also  took  the  Black  Standard,  and  the  insignia 
and  decorations  of  Don  Giro,  which  General  Church  forwarded 
to  Naples,  where  they  were  presented  to  the  King  by  Prince 
Nugent,  the  Gaptain-General. 

Major  Bianchi,  following  up  his  advantages,  proceeded  the 
next  day  to  Francavilla.  Here  he  found  the  inhabitants  in  the 
greatest  fermentation,  determined  to  break  open  the  prisons  and 
release  those  confined  in  them.  Having  ascertained  who  were 
the  ringleaders,  he  lost  not  a  moment  in  causing  them  to  be 
seized  in  their  houses.  His  gens-d'armes  patrolled  the  streets 
with  orders  to  lay  hands  on  every  individual  they  might  meet 
bearing  arms.  He  thus  terrified  the  towns-people  and  quelled 
the  tumult. 

General  Ghurch  then  arrived  in  person  :  the  troops  concen- 
trated on  Francavilla,  where  a  military  commission  was  established 
to  try  the  outlaws.  Don  Giro  had  now  been  missino-  for 
eix  or  seven  days;  not  a  word  had  been  heard  of  him  since  his 
escape  from  San  Marzano,  but  the  General  fancying  he  could  not 
be  far  off,  and  that  he  was  still  in  intimate  correspondence  with 
some  individuals  in  that  town,  threatened  it  with  plunder  and 
destruction,  unless  its  inhabitants  enabled  him  to  secure  the  per- 


192  THE    PKIEST-ROBBER. 


son  of  the  robber-priest  within  eight  days.  Trembling  for  their 
houses  and  proiiertj,  the  militia  of  San  Marzano  then  undertook 
to  pursue  Don  Giro,  and  on  the  sixth  of  February  they  beset 
him  in  the  masseria  (or  farmhouse)  of  Scaserba,  not  above  ten 
miles  from  General  Church's  quarters  at  Francavilla. 

The  masserie  in  Apulia  and  the  provinces  of  Bari,  Otranto, 
and  Taranto,  are  all  built  on  the  same  plan,  and  are  very  capable 
of  defence.  The  word  is  not  rendered  by  "  farm-house,"  which 
gives  but  an  inadequate  idea  of  the  masseria.  They  date  from 
the  period  when  the  incufsions  of  the  Turks  and  pirates  were 
apprehended,  and  when  the  country  people  shut  themselves  up 
in  their  strongholds  with  their  cattle  and  most  valuable  effects, 
in  order  to  secure  themselves  from  attack.  A  square  wall  of 
enclosure,  sufficiently  high  and  solid,  generally  surrounds  the 
dwelling-house,  built  against  one  side,  and  containing  three  oi 
four  large  habitable  rooms,  and  sometimes  a  small  chapel.  'The 
vast  stables,  granaries,  and  out-houses,  within  the  walls,  form  a 
right  angle  with  this  dwelling-house,  but  without  touching  it.  In 
the  midst  of  the  enclosure,  at  some  distance  from  the  surround- 
ing walls,  rises  a  round  or  square  tower  of  two  stories,  standing 
quite  alone.  The  ascent  to  the  upper  story  is  either  \>y  stone 
steps,  inserted  in  the  tower,  by  a  drawbridge,  or  by  a  ladder 
easily  drawn  up  into  the  tower.  This  description  will  enable  the 
reader  to  understand  how  Don  Giro  could  make  so  long  a  resist- 
ance in  the  masseria  of  Scascrba. 

lie  had  arrived  at  this  lonely  place  with  some  of  his  com- 
rades worn  out  with  fatigue,  and  had  thought  he  could  venture 
to  repose  himself  there  for  a  few  hours.  It  was  said  that  he 
had  previously  provided  Scaserba  and  many  other  lonely  masseria 
of  the  district  with  arms,  ammunition,  and  some  provisions. 
He  was  surprised  at  the  sudden  and  hostile  apparition  of  the  militia 
of  San  Marzano,  but  not  at  all  alarmed,  making  sure  lie  could  cut 
his  way  through  them  whenever  he  chose.  Had  he  rushed  out 
at  once,  he  might  have  done  so.  He  coolly  stayed  where  he  was, 
and  let  them  form  before  the  gate  of  the  masseria.  So  strong 
was  his  spell  on  the  minds  of  these  ificn  that  for  a  long  time 


THE   PRIEST-ROBBER.  193 


they  hesitated  to  approach  within  range  of  his  never-erring 
musket — the  first  that  did  so,  he  shot  dead  from  the  outer  walls. 

This  delay,  however,  cost  him  dear.  The  militia  of  San 
Marzano,  though  not  brave,  were  this  time  in  earnest,  and 
having  sent  information  to  Lieutenant  Fonsmort,  stationed 
at  the  "Castelli,"  a  position  between  Grottaglie  and  Francavilla, 
that  officer  hastened  to  the  spot,  with  forty  men  of  regular 
troops.  As  this  force  came  in  sight  on  the  edge  of  the  plain, 
Don  Giro  bit  his  thumb  until  it  bled,  for  he  understood  that  a 
vigorous  attack  was  to  be  made,  and  retreat  was  now  hopeless. 
He  soon,  however,  recovered  his  presence  of  mind,  and  locking  up 
the  poor  people  of  the  masseria  in  the  straw  magazine,  and  putting 
the  key  in  his  pocket,  he  retired  with  his  desperate  followers  to 
the  tower.  Having  ascended  to  the  upper  story,  they  drew 
in  the  ladder  after  them,  and  proceeded  to  load  all  their  guns, 
of  which  they  had  a  good  number. 

It  was  now  evening;  the  darkness  of  night  soon  succeeded 
the  brief  twilight  of  the  south.  That  night  must  have  been  a 
sleepless  one  for  Don  Giro,  though  no  attempt  was  made  at 
storming  his  stronghold.  The  morning  dawn,  however,  af- 
forded him  no  comfort,  for  Gaptain  Gorsi  had  arrived  from 
Francavilla  with  a  detachment  of  gens-d'armes,  and  after  Major 
Bianchi  came  to  him  with  other  reinforcements  ! 

The  siege  of  Seaserba  was  now  formed  by  132  soldiers ;  the 
militia,  on  whom  little  dependance  was  placed,  being  stationed 
in  the  second  line,  and  at  some  distance. 

Don  Giro  vigorously  defended  the  outer  walls  and  the  ap- 
proaches to  his  tower  from  sunrise  to  sunset.  In  the  night  he 
attempted  to  escape,  but  the  neighing  of  horses  made  him  sus- 
pect that  some  cavalry  had  arrived,  whose  pursuit  it  would  be 
impossible  to  elude,  and  he  saw  piquets  all  round  the  masseria. 
He  therefore  retired,  after  having  killed,  with  a  pistol-shot,  a 
voltigeur  stationed  under  the  wall  he  had  attempted  to  scale. 
He  again  shut  himself  up  in  his  tower,  and  employed  himself  all 
night  in  making  cartridges.  An  afternoon,  two  nights,  and  a  whole 
day  had  been  spent,  and  Don  Giro  was  still  master  of  the  whole  en- 

17 


194  THE   PRIEST-ROBBER. 


closure,  and  the  outer  -walls  of  the  masseria  !  At  daj-break,  the 
besiegers  triea  to  burst  open  the  strong  wooden  gate  of  the  outer 
wall ;  Ciro  and  his  men  creeping  from  the  tower  and  under  the  wall 
by  the  gate,  repulsed  the  assailants,  killing  five  and  wounding 
fourteen  of  the  soldiers.  A  barrel  of  oil  was  then  rolled  to  the 
gate,  in  order  to  burn  it.  The  first  man  who  set  fire  to  it  was 
shot  through  the  heart.  But  its  flames  communicated  to  the 
door,  which  was  soon  accessible,  and  Don  Ciro  was  obliged  to  re- 
treat to  his  tower.  How  long  he  might  have  kept  Major  Bianchi 
at  bay,  had  not  a  piece  of  artillery  arrived,  and  had  he  not  for- 
gotten an  important  part  of  provision  for  a  siege,  is  uncertain ; 
but  as  the  day  advanced  a  four-pounder  was  brought  to  the  spot, 
and  pointed  against  the  roof  of  the  tower.  This  little  piece  pro- 
duced great  efi"ect.  The  tiles  and  bricks  which  fell,  drove  Don 
Ciro  from  the  upper  to  the  lower  storj'  of  the  tower.  The  as- 
sailants, satisfied  with  the  cfi"ects  produced  by  the  four-pounder, 
would  not  approach  the  tower;  he  had  nothing  to  do  in  the  way 
of  firing  at  them,  to  keep  up  his  spirits ; — at  the  same  time,  and 
in  this  horrid  state  of  inactivity  or  passiveness,  he  was  tor- 
mented with  a  burning  thirst,  for  he  had  forgotten  to  provide 
himself  with  water — and  he  never  could  drink  wine. 

At  length,  after  some  deliberation  with  his  companions,  he 
demanded  to  speak  with  General  Church,  who  he  believed  was 
in  the  neighbourhood  ;  then  to  the  Duke  of  Monte  Jasi — (he 
seems  to  have  had  the  ancient  Knight's  anxiety,  to  surrender  to 
none  save  people  of  distinction  ;) — but  that  nobleman  being  also 
absent,  he  condescended  to  capitulate  with  Major  Bianchi.  On 
their  approach,  he  addressed  the  besiegers,  and  threw  them  some 
bread.  Major  Bianchi  assured  him  that  he  should  not  be  mal- 
treated by  the  soldiery,  of  whom  he  had  killed  and  wounded  so 
many.  lie  then  lowered  the  ladder,  descended  from  the  tower, 
and  presented  himself  to  the  Major  and  his  troops,  with  the 
words  "  Eccommi,  Don  Ciro," — "  Here  am  I,  Don  Ciro  I" 

His  comrades  then  followed  him.  And  how  many  were  these 
desperate  men,  who  had  so   long  defended  themselves  agamst 


THSi    PRIEST-ROBBER.  195 


Buch  a  force  ?  They  were  only  three — Vito  di  Cesare,  Giovanni 
Palmicri,  and  Michele  Cupoli. 

Their  hands,  their  faces,  their  dress,  were  horribly  begrimed 
by  gunpowder  and  smoke,  but  there  was  no  appearance  of  wounds 
on  their  persons,  and  their  countenances,  particularly  that  of 
their  daring  leader,  were  firm  and  resolute  in  the  extreme.  The 
first  thing  ]}on  Giro  did  after  surrendering  himself  to  the 
soldiers  was,  to  beg  them  to  give  him  water  to  quench  his  con- 
suming thirst.  He  then  delivered  the  key  and  desired  them  to 
liberate  the  people  of  the  masseria,  who  had  been  locked  up  all 
this  while  in  the  straw-magazine.  He  declared  that  they  were 
innocent,  and  as  they  came  out  of  their  place  of  confinement  he 
distributed  money  among  them.  He  patiently  sufiiered  himself 
to  be  searched  and  bound.  Some  poison  was  found  upon  him, 
which  he  said  he  would  have  taken  in  the  tower  had  not  his 
companions  prevented  him. 

The  besiegers  and  their  captives  now  marched  off  for  Franca- 
villa.  Don  Giro  conversed  quietly  enough  all  the  way  with 
Major  Bianchi,  to  whom  he  related  the  principal  circumstances 
of  his  most  extraordinary  life. 

In  prison  he  was  equally  calm.  He  only  appeared  to  be  inte- 
rested for  the  fate  of  some  of  his  partizans,  or  Decisi :  he  de- 
clared that  they  had  been  compelled  by  his  threats  and  their  own 
fears  to  do  whatever  they  had  done,  and  he  entreated  that  they 
might  not  be  persecuted. 

On  being  placed  before  the  council  of  War,  presided  by  Lieute- 
nant-Golonel  Guarini,  he  addressed  a  speech  to  that  officer,  mis- 
taking him  for  General  Church.  Among  other  arguments  he 
used,  was  this  : — 

"  On  the  day  that  you.  General,  with  the  Duke  ot  San  Cesa- 
reo  and  only  a  few  horsemen,  reconnoitred  Grottaglie,  I  was 
there,  with  several  of  mine,  concealed  behind  a  ruined  wall, 
close  by  the  gate  where  you  entered.  I  covered  3'ou  with  my 
rifle,  and  I  never  missed  my  aim  ten  times  that  distance  !  Had 
not  the  feelings  of  mercy  prevailed  in  my  bosom,  General, 
instead  of  being  here  to  judge  me,  you  would  have  been  in  your 


19G  THE    PKIEST-ROBBER. 


grave.     Think  of  this,  Signor  General,  and  let  me  meet  with 
the  mercy  I  have  shown  I" 

On  being  informed  of  his  mistake,  he  insisted  on  seeing 
General  Church ;  when  this  was  refused  him,  he  quietly  resigned 
himself  to  his  fate,  dryly  saying,  "  Ho  capito."  (I  understand.) 
He  did  not  pronounce  another  word. 

After  sentence  of  death  was  passed,  a  Missionary  introduced 
himself,  and  offered  him  the  consolations  of  religion.  Don  Giro 
answered  him  with  a  smile,  "  Let  us  leave  alone  all  this  ?,tuff  and 
prating !  we  are  of  the  same  trade — don't  let  us  laugh  at  one 
another  I" 

On  being  asked  by  Captain  Montorj,  reporter  of  the  Military 
Commission  which  condemned  him,  how  many  persons  he  had 
killed  with  his  own  hand,  he  carelessly  answered,  "  Who  can 
tell  ? — they  may  be  between  sixty  and  seventy." 

As  he  was  led  to  execution,  he  recognised  Lieutenant  Fons- 
morte,  the  officer  who  had  been  the  first  to  arrive  at  the  masseria 
of  Scaserba  with  his  regular  troops.  Don  Ciro  had  admired  his 
readiness  and  courage,  and  said  to  him,  "  If  I  were  a  king,  I 
would  make  you  a  captain." 

The  streets  of  Francavilla,  through  which  he  passed,  were 
filled  with  people  ;  even  the  house-tops  were  crowded  with  specta- 
tors.    They  all  preserved  a  gloomy  silence. 

On  his  arrival  at  the  place  of  execution,  Don  Ciro  walked  with 
a  firm  step  to  his  fatal  post.  He  wished  to  be  shot  stand- 
ing— but  they  ordered  him  to  kneel.  He  did  so,  presenting  his 
breast  to  the  soldiers.  He  was  then  told  that  malefactors,  like 
himself,  were  always  shot  with  their  backs  to  the  soldiers ;  "  It 
is  all  the  same,"  he  replied  with  a  smile,  and  then  he  turned  his 
back.  As  he  did  so,  he  advised  a  priest,  who  persisted  in  remain- 
ing near  him,  to  withdraw,  *'  for,"  said  he,  "  these  fellows  are 
not  all  such  good   shots  as  I  have  been — they  may  hit  you  I" 

He  spoke  no  more — the  signal  was  given — the  soldiers  fired 
at  the  kneeling  Priest-robber.  Twenty-one  balls  took  effect — four 
in  the  head  !  Yet  he  still  breathed  and  muttered  in  his  throat; 
it  required   a   twenty-second  shot  to  put  an  end  to  him!     This 


THE   PRIEST-ROBBER. 


197 


fact  was  confirmed  by  all  the  officers  and  soldiers  present  at  Lis 
execution.  The  people  who  had  always  attributed  supernatural 
powers  to  him,  were  confirmed  in  their  belief  by  this  tenacious- 
ness  of  life,  which  was,  indeed,  little  short  of  miraculous.  "  As 
soon  as  we  perceived,"  said  one  of  the  soldiers  very  seriously, 
"  that  Don  Ciro  was  enchanted,  we  loaded  his  own  musket  with 
a  silver  ball,  and  this  destroyed  the  spell." 

Thus  fell  in  1818,  after  fifteen  years  of  a  most  lawless  life, 
dating  from  his  jealousy  and  first  murder,  Don  Ciro  Anacchiarico, 
of  whom  little  else  remains  ta  be  said,  save  that  his  countenance 
had  nothing  at  all  repulsive  about  it,  but  was,  on  the  contrary, 
rather  mild  and  agreeable ;  that  he  was  master  of  a  verbose  but 
most  persuasive  eloquence,  though  pedantic  in  his  style  and 
over-addicted  to  classical  allusions  and  inflated  phrases — the 
general  defects  of  his  countrymen,  the  Neapolitans. 


DON    CIRO  S   BAND   BESIEGED. 


17^ 


STORY  OF  SPANISH  BRIGANDS. 


A  BAND  of  Spanish  brigands,  composed  of  men  who  had 
served  in  the  army  of  Don  Carlos,  were  brought  to  trial  on  the 
19th  of  March  1845,  at  Perpignan.  The  number  included  in  the 
indictment  is  twentj'^-two,  of  whom  seventeen  were  arraigned  at 
the  bar ;  the  five  others,  including  a  woman,  named  Catherine 
Gattel,  or  Lacoste,  having  evaded  capture.  The  prosecution  was 
conducted  by  M.  Renard,  procureur-general  of  the  Cour  Royale 
of  Montpelier,  assisted  by  M.  Aragon,  the  procureur  du  roi.  The 
prisoners  were  defended  by  four  counsel.  The  indictment  stated 
that  on  the  27th  of  February,  1845,  at  ten  in  the  evening,  the 
diligence  going  from  Girona  to  Barcelona  was  stopped  at  a  place 
called  Lo  Sora  de  la  Palla,  near  the  village  of  La  Thadere.  The 
traces  were  cut,  the  doors  of  the  coach  violently  opened,  and  all 
the  passengers  ordered,  on  pain  of  instant  death,  to  alight 
and  lay  themselves  on  the  ground.  The  robbers  then  lighted 
torches  and  searched  the  passengers,  taking  from  their  persons  all 
they  could  find,  treating  the  women  in  the  most  indecent  manner. 

This  done,  they  spread  a  cloak  on  the  ground,  and  commanded 
every  one,  with  the  most  horrible  threats,  to  cast  upon  it  what- 
(198) 


SPANISH    BIIIGANDS.  199 


ever  money,  jewels  and  other  valuables  they  had  about  them, 
and  which  might  have  escaped  discovery.  At  the  same  time 
the  diligence  was  completely  plundered.  This,  however,  was 
but  a  prelude  to  future  outrages.  Three  of  the  passengers,  M. 
Bailber,  M.  Koger,  of  Figuieras,  and  M.  Massot,  Darams,  whose 
passports  indicated  them  to  be  of  greater  consideration,  were 
seized  and  bound,  to  be  carried  oflf  for  the  sake  of  their  ransom. 
The  mother  of  M.  Massot,  who  was  travelling  with  him,  cast 
herself  at  the  feet  of  the  bandits,  and  entreated  of  them  for 
mercy  to  her  son ;  but  they  repelled  her  coarsely,  saying  that 
if  she  did  not  cease  to  annoy  them  with  cries,  she  should  see  her 
son  stabbed  to  death  before  her  eyes.  The  sound  of  a  shrill 
whistle  was  then  heard,  upon  which  the  brigands  gathered  up 
their  booty,  cut  the  strajjs  of  the  pantaloons  of  their  three  cap- 
tives, in  order  that  they  might  be  able  to  move  more  freely,  and 
led  them  away  across  the  mountains,  recommending  those  left 
not  to  report  what  had  occurred  to  them,  or  they  would  repent  it. 
On  May  3d  M.  Massot  wrote  a  letter  to  his  mother,  desiring 
her  to  send  him  800  quadruples  (rather  more  than  60,000f.,) 
for  his  ransom,  saying,  "  I  am  worn  out  by  misery.  The  cold 
distresses  me,  and  these  men  torment  me.  A  fever  is  killing 
me,  and  yet  I  am  obliged  to  march  day  and  night,  with  pain  and 
grief,  through  the  snow.  All  I  know  is  that  I  am  traversing 
mountains.  Embrace  my  brothers  in  the  name  of  God,  and 
beg  them  not  to  fall  into  despair  from  my  death,  for  I  am  already 
resigned  to  it."  Bailber  who  was  of  an  advanced  age,  could 
not  long  resist  his  great  suflfcring,  and  in  a  very  few  days  finding 
himself  sinking  and  unable  to  write,  dictated  his  last  will  to 
Ilocer,  which,  when  finished,  the  brigands  took  into  their  hands, 
judf^ing  they  might  derive  some  advantage  from  its  possession. 
The  unhappy  man  was  left  alone  in  his  agonies  on  the  snow,  and, 
with  a  refinement  of  barbarity,  the  savages  took  from  his  shoul- 
ders the  cloak  he  needed  only  for  a  few  moments  more.  Three 
days  after  that,  the  Spanish  armed  force  came  up  with  the  band, 
and  an  engagement  ensued  in  which  two  of  the  soldiers  were 
killed,  and  several  of  the  brigands  wounded.  Some  days  after  the 


200  SPANISH    BRIGANDS. 


attack  on  the  diligence,  Mme.  Massot  received  a  letter  By  ihe 
Girona  mail,  signed  with  the  name  of  Jacques  Torquahus,  telling 
her  that  if  she  did  not  send  the  800  quadruples  to  a  place  indi^ 
cated,  she  should  receive  her  son's  ears,  and  if  that   did   not  re- 
duce her  to  compliance,  they  would  send  her  his  eyes,  and  if 
those  did  not  succeed  she  would  at  last  have  his  mutilated  head, 
at  the   same  time  increasing  their   demand.     On  the  25th  of 
March  the  brigands  and  their  two  prisoners,  when  in   a  house 
called  Perrasole  de  Terrasole,  near  Tazadell,   were   attacked  hy 
some  armed  police,  and  a  conflict  ensued,   in  which  two  of  the 
gendarmes  were  killed,  and  M.  Roger  received  a  ball  in  the  back 
of  the  neck,   which  laid  him  dead  instantaneously.     The  band 
then   divided  into  two  parties — live  of  them  going  to  a  place 
called  Manners,  and  eight  with  M.  Massot,  their  sole  remaining 
captive,  in  search  of  the  grotto  of  Bassaguda,  where  they  might 
conceal  and  secure  him.     After  wandering  for  several  days,  lost 
in  fogs,  they  reached  and  crossed  the  Mouga,  a  river  which  di- 
vides the  two  kingdoms,   and,   finding  the  cave,  were  supplied 
for  two  days  with  food,  by  two  peasants  of  the  country,  who  were 
included  in  the  indictment  as  accomplices.     Hence  four  of  the 
eight  bandits  went  to  Les  Salines  to  receive  the   one  thousand 
quadruples  demanded  of  Mme.  Massot  for  the  release  of  her  son, 
taking  up  their  abode  at  the  inn  of  one  of  their  associates,  Parot 
del  Battle;  but  one  of  the  four,   named  Pujade,  taking  some 
oflFence,  deserted  the  rest,  returned  to  his  master,  and  became  the 
principal  means  of  discovering  and  arresting  the  whole  band  of 
these  brutal  murderers.     In  consequence  of  the  measures  taken 
by  his  information,  all  the  brigands  named  in  the  indictment, 
were  pursued,  found,  and  arrested.     In  the  end,  on  reaching  the 
cave  or  grotto  of  Bassaguda,  was  discovered  the  lifeless  body  of 
M.  Massot,  with  the  ears  cut  off,  the  throat  divided,   and  eleven 
poniard  wounds  in  the  region  of  the  heart.    In  the  loft  of  a  farm 
called  Del  Aloy,  was  afterwards  found,  wrapped  in  a  paper,  a  pair 
of  human  ears,  with  some  of  the  hair  of  the  head  still  sticking  to 
them  by  the  clotted  blood.     These  were  afterwards  proved  to  be 
the  ears  of  the  unfortunate   Massot,   which   the  eight  brigands 


SPANISH   BRIGANDS.  201 


who  had  excised  them  carelessly  left  there,  little  thinking  how 
clear  a  proof  it  would  be  of  their  having  been  the  perpetrators  of 
this  act  of  cruelty.  As  an  evidence  of  their  insensibility  to  all  feel- 
ing of  pity,  when  the  ears  were  exhibited  to  them  on  their  being 
examined  before  the  magistrate,  they  pretended  not  to  know 
what  they  were,  calling  them,  with  the  most  audacious  levity, 
dried  mushrooms.  It  is  also  stated  that  after  the  death  of  their 
two  other  captives,  M.  Bailber  and  M.  Koger,  the  bandits  sent 
letters  to  their  families,  stipulating  for  large  sums  for  their  ran- 
som, which  was  to  be  sent  to  certain  spots  indicated,  but  which, 
if  they  had  been  paid,  would  have  been  in  pure  loss,  for  those 
sought  to  be  redeemed  were  no  longer  in  existence.  The  above 
are  the  material  facts  disclosed  by  the  accomplice  Pujade,  and 
which  were  confirmed  by  the  evidence  that  was  produced.  In 
support  of  the  prosecution,  no  fewer  than  one  hundred  and  four- 
teen witnesses  were  summoned,  all  of  whom  attended  the  trial 
except  two  or  three.  One  having  been  declared  not  guilty  was 
ordered  to  be  discharged.  Pujade  was  condemned  to  imprison- 
ment for  three  years,  and  another  for  five  years;  one  to  eight 
years  and  another  to  ten  years'  close  confinement  and  the  pillory; 
one  to  ten  years,  and  one  to  twenty  years'  hard  labour  at  the 
hulks  with  the  pillory  ;  six  to  hard  labour  at  the  hulks  for  life, 
on  account  of  the  jury  having  found  that  there  were  extenuating 
circumstances  in  their  favour,  and  four,  among  whom  were  Simon, 
Sagals,  and  Icazes,  to  death.  The  court  ordered  that  Simon 
and  Sagals  should  be  executed  at  Ceret,  and  the  other  two  at 
Perpignan. 


THE  SMUGGLER'S  LEAP— A  PASSAGE  IN  THE 

PYRENEES. 

"Oh  !  there's  not  in  this  wide  world,"  I  exclaimed,  quite  un- 
intentionally quoting  Tom  Moore  ;  "  there  never  has  been,  nor 
can  ever  be  again  so  charming  a  creature.  No  nymph,  or  sylph, 
or  winged  Ariel,  or  sj'ren  with  song  and  mirror,  was  ever  so 
fascinating — no  daughter  of  Eve  so  pretty  and  provoking  !" 

This  apostrophe,  which  certainly  appears,  now  that  in  cooler 
moments  I  recall  it,  rather  rhapsodical,  was  not  uttered  viva  voce 
nor  evensofto  voce,  seeing  that  its  object,  Miss  Dora  M'Dermot, 
was  riding  along  only  three  paces  in  front  of  me,  whilst  her 
brother  walked  by  my  side.  It  was  a  mere  mental  ejaculation, 
elicited  by  the  surpassing  affections  of  the  aforesaid  Dora,  who 
assuredly  was  the  most  charming  girl  I  had  ever  beheld.  But 
fur  the  Pyrenean  scenery  around  us,  and  the  rough  ill-condi- 
li;incd  mule,  with  its  clumsy  side  saddle  of  discoloured  leather, 
on  which  she  was  mounted,  instead  of  the  Spanish-jennet  or 
well-bred  English  palfrey  that  would  best  have  suited  so  fair  an 
equestrian,  I  could,  without  any  great  exertion  of  fancy,  have- 
dreamed  myself  back  to  the  days  of  the  M'Gregor,  and  fancied 
(202^ 


THE    smuggler's  LEAP.  203 


tliat  it  was  Die  V'U-non  riding  up  the  mountain  side,  gaily  chat- 
ting as  she  went  with  the  handsome  cavalier  who  walked  by  her 
stirrup,  and  who  might  have  been  Frank  Osbaldistone,  only  that 
he  was  too  manly  looking  for  Scott's  somewhat  eflFeminate  hero. 

Upon  the  second  day  of  my  arrival  at  the  baths  of  St.  Sau- 
veur,  in  the  Pyrenees,  I  had  fallen  in   with  my  old  friend  and 
college  chum,   Jack  M'Dermot,   who  was   taking  his  sister  the 
round  of  the   French  watering-places.     Dora's   health  had  been 
delicate,  the  faculty  had  recommended  the  excursion  ;  and  Jack, 
who  doatcd  upon  his  only  sister,  had  dragged  her  away  from  the 
gaieties  of  London  and  brought  her  off  to  the  Pyrenees.  M'Der- 
mot was  an  excellent  fellow,  neither  a  wit  nor  a  Solomon ;  but 
a  good-hearted   dog,  who  had  been   much   liked  at  Trin.   Coll., 
Dublin,  where  he  had  thought  very  little  of  his  studies,  and  a 
good  deal  of  his  horses  and  dogs.     An  Irishman,  to  be  sure,  oc- 
casionally a  slight  touch  of  the  brogue  was  perceptible  in   his 
talk ;  but  from   this  his  sister,   who  had  been  brought  up   in 
England,   was   entirely  free.     Jack   had  a  snug  estate  of  three 
thousand  a  year ;  Miss  Dora  had  twenty  thousand  pounds  from 
her  mother.     She  had  passed  two  seasons  in  London  ;  and  if  she 
was  not  already  married,  it  was  because  not  one  of  the  fifty  aspi- 
rants to  her  hand  had  found  favour  in  her  bright  eyes.     Lively 
and  high-spirited,  with  a  slight  turn  for  the  satirical,  she  loved 
her  independence,  and  was  difficult  to  please.     I  had  been  absent 
from  England  nearly  two  years,  on  a  continental   tour ,  and  al- 
though I  had  heard  much  of  Miss  M'Dermot,  I  had  never  seen 
her  till  her  brother  introduced  me  to  her  at  St.  Sauveur.     I  had 
not  known  her  an  hour,  before  I  found  myself  to  be  in  a  fair 
way  to  add  another  to  the  list  of  the  poor  moths  who  had  singed 
their  wings  at  the  perilous  light  of  her  beauty.  When  M'Dermot, 
learning  that,  like   themselves,   I  was  on  a  desultory  sort  of  a 
ramble,  and  had  not  marked  out  any  particular  route,  offered  me 
a  seat  in  their  carriage,  and  urged  me  to  accompany  them,  instead 
of  prudently  flying  from  the  danger,  I  foolishly  exposed  myself 
to  it,  and  lo !  what  might  have  been  anticipated  came  to  pass. 
Before  I  had  been  two  days  in  Dora's  society,  my  doom  was 


204  THE  smuggler's  leap. 


sealed;  I  had  ceased  to  belong  to  myself;  I  was  her  slave,  ths. 
slave  of  her  sunny  smile  and  bright  eyes — talisman  more 
potent  than  any  lamp  or  ring  that  djinn  or  fairy  ever  obeyed. 

A  fortnight  had  passed,  and  we  were  at  B .     During  that 

time,  the  spell  that  bound  me  had  been  each  day  gaining  strength. 
As  an  intimate  friend  of  her  brother,  I  was  already  with  Dora  on 
the  footing  of  an  old  acquaintance ;  she  seemed  well  enough 
pleased  with  my  society,  and  chatted  with  me  willingly  and  fami- 
liarly ;  but  in  vain  did  I  watch  for  some  slight  indication,  a 
glance  or  an  intonation  whence  to  derive  hojDe.  None  such  were 
perceptible;  nor  could  the  most  egregious  coxcomb  have  fancied 
that  they  were.  We  once  or  twice  fell  in  with  other  acquaintances 
of  hers  and  her  brother's,  and  with  them  she  had  just  the  same 
frank,  friendly  manner,  as  with  me.  I  had  not  sufficient  vanity, 
however,  to  expect  a  woman,  especially  one  so  much  admired  as 
Miss  M'Dermot  to  fall  in  love  at  first  sight  with  my  humble  per- 
sonality, and  I  patiently  waited,  trusting  to  time  and  assiduity 
to  advance  my  cause. 

Things  were  in  this  state,  when  one  morning,  whilst  taking  an 
early  walk  to  the  springs,  I  ran  up  against  an  English  friend,  by 
name  Walter  Ashley.  He  was  the  son  of  a  country  gentleman 
of  moderate  fortune,  at  whose  house  I  had  more  than  once 
passed  a  week  in  the  shooting  season.  Walter  was  an  excellent 
fellow,  and  a  perfect  model  of  the  class  to  which  he  belonged. 
By  no  means  unpolished  in  his  manners,  he  had  yet  a  sort 
of  plain  frankness  and  hortliommie,  which  was  peculiarly  agree- 
able and  prepossessing.  He  was  not  a  university  man,  nor  had  he 
received  an  education  of  the  highest  order ;  spoke  no  language 
but  his  own  with  any  degree  of  correctness  ;  neither  played  the 
fiddle,  painted  pictures,  nor  wrote  poetry.  On  the  other  hand  in 
all  manly  exercises  he  was  a  proficient ;  shot,  rode,  walked,  and 
danced  to  perfection  ;  and  the  fresh  originality,  and  pleasant 
tone  of  his  conversation,  redeemed  any  deficiency  of  reading  or 
accomplishment.  In  personal  appearance  he  was  a  splendid  fel- 
low, nearly  six  feet  in  his  boots,  strongly,  but  at  the  same  time, 
symmetrically  built ;  although  his  size  of  limb  and  width  of 


THE  smuggler's  LEAP,  205 


shoulder  rendered  liini,  at  six-and-twenty,  rather  what  is  called  a 
fine  man,  than  a  slender  or  elegant  one.  lie  bad  the  true  Anglo- 
Saxon  physiognomy,  blue  eyes,  and  light  brown  hair  that  waved, 
rather  than  curled,  round  his  broad  handsome  forehead.  And, 
then,  what  a  mustache  the  fellow  had  !  (He  was  an  ofiQcer  in  a 
crack  yeomanry  corps.)  Delighted  to  meet  Ashley,  I  dragged 
him  off  to  the  hotel,  to  introduce  him  to  M'Dermot  and  his  sis- 
ter. As  a  friend  of  mine  they  gave  him  a  cordial  welcome,  and 
we  passed  that  day  and  the  following  ones  together.  I  soon, 
however,  I  must  confess,  began  to  repent  a  little  having  brought 
my  handsome  friend  into  the  society  of  Dora.  She  seemed 
better  pleased  with  him  than  I  altogether  liked,  nor  could  I  won- 
der at  it.  "Walter  Ashley  w;is  exactly  the  man  to  please  a 
woman  of  Dora's  character.  She  was  of  rather  a  romantic  turn, 
and  about  him  there  was  a  dash  of  the  chivalrous,  well  calculated 
to  captivate  her  imagination.  Although  perfectly  feminine,  she 
was  an  excellent  horsewoman,  and  an  ardent  admirer  of  feats  of 
address  and  courage,  and  she  had  heard  me  tell  her  brother  of 
Ashley's  perfection  iu  such  matters.  On  his  part,  Ashley,  like 
every  one  else  who  saw  her,  was  evidently  greatly  struck  with 
her  beauty  and  fascination  of  manner.  I  cannot  say  that  I  was 
jealous:  I  had  no  right  to  be  so,  for  Dora  had  never  given  me 
encouragement ;  but  I  certainly  more  than  once  regretted  having 
introduced  a  third  person  into  what — honest  Jack  M'Dermot 
counting  of  coarse,  for  nothing — had  previously  been  a  sort  of 
iete-a-tete  society.  I  began  to  fear  that,  thanks  to  myself,  my 
occupation  was  gone,  and  Ashley  had  got  it. 

It  was  the  fifth  day  after  our  meeting  with  Walter,  and  we  had 
started  early  in  the  morning  upon  an  excursion  to  a  neighbour- 
ing lake,  the  scenery  around  which,  we  were  told,  was  particularly 
wild  and  beautiful.  It  was  situated  on  a  piece  of  table-land  on 
the  top  of  a  mountain,  which  we  could  see  from  the  hotel  window. 
The  distance  was  barely  ten  miles,  and  the  road  being  rough  and 
precipitous,  M'Dermot,  Ashley,  and  myself,  had  chosen  to  walk 
rather  than  to  risk  our  necks  by  riding  the  broken-knee'd  ponies 
that  were  offered  to  us.     A  sure-footed  mule,  and  indifferent 

18 


206  THE  smuggler's  leap. 


side-saddle,  had  been  procured  for  Miss  M'Dermot,  and  was  at- 
tended by  a  wild-looking  Bearnese  boy,  or  gossoon,  as  her  brother 
called  him,  a  creature  like  a  grasshopper,  all  legs  and  arms,  with 
a  scarred  countenance,  and  long  lank  black  hair  hanging  in  irre- 
gular shreds  about  his  face. 

There  is  no  season  more  agreeable  in  the  Pyrenees  than  the 
month  of  September.  People  are  very  apt  to  expatiate  on  the 
delights  of  autumn,  its  mellow  beauty,  pen&ive  charms  and  such 
like.  I  confess  that  in  a  general  way  I  like  the  youth  of  the 
year  better  than  its  decline,  and  prefer  the  bright  green  tints  of 
spring,  with  the  summer  in  prospective,  to  the  melancholy 
autumn,  its  russet  hues  and  falling  leaves ;  its  regrets  for  fine 
weather  past,  and  anticipations  of  bad  to  come.  But  if  there 
be  any  place  where  I  should  be  tempted  to  reverse  my  judgment, 
it  would  be  in  Southern  France,  and  especially  its  western  and 
central  portion.  The  clear  cloudless  sky,  the  modei-ate  heat  suc- 
ceeding to  the  sultriness,  often  overpowering,  of  the  summer 
months,  the  magnificent  vineyards  and  merry  vintage  time,  the 
noble  groves  of  chesnut,  clothing  the  lower  slopes  of  the  moun- 
tains, the  bright  streams  and  flower-spangled  meadows  of  Beam 
and  Languedoc,  render  no  part  of  the  year  more  delightful  ir. 
those  countries  than  the  months  of  September  and  October. 

As  before  mentioned,  Dora  rode  a  little  in  front,  with  Ashley 
beside  her,  pointing  out  the  beauties  of  the  wild  scenery  through 
which  we  passed,  and  occasionally  laying  her  hand  upon  her 
bridle  to  guide  the  mule  over  some  unusually  rugged  portion  of 
the  almost  trackless  mountain.  M'Dermot  and  I  were  walking 
behind,  a  little  puffed  by  the  steepness  of  the  ascent ;  our  guide, 
whose  name  was  Cadet,  a  name  answered  to  by  every  second  man 
one  meets  in  that  part  of  France,  strode  along  beside  us,  like  a 
pair  of  compasses  with  leathern  lungs.  Presently,  the  last- 
named  individual  turned  to  me — 

"  Ces  messieurs veulent-ils  voir  le  JSaut  delon  Contrahandiste?" 
said  he,  in  the  barbarous  dialect  of  the  district,  half  French, 
half  patois,  with  a  small  dash  of  Spanish. 

<'  Le  Saut  du  Contrebandier,  the  Smuggler's  Leap — what   U 


THE   smuggler's   LEAP.  207 


that?"  asked  Dora,  who  had  overheard  the  question,  turning 
round  her  graceful  head,  and  dazzling  us — me  at  least — by  a 
sudden  view  of  her  lovely  face,  now  glowing  with  exercise  and 
the  mountain  air. 

The  smuggler's  leap,  so  Cadet  informed  us,  was  a  narrow  cleft 
in  the  rock,  of  vast  depth,  and  extending  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance across  a  flank  of  the  mountain.  It  owed  its  name  to  the 
following  incident : — Some  five  years  previously,  a  smuggler, 
known  by  the  name  of  Juan  le  Negre,  or  Black  Juan,  had  for  a 
considerable  period,  set  the  custom-house  officers  at  defiance, 
and  brought  great  discredit  on  them  by  his  success  in  passing 
contraband  goods  from  Spain.  In  vain  did  they  lie  in  ambush 
and  set  snares  for  him  ;  they  could  never  come  near  him,  or  if 
they  did  it  was  when  he  was  backed  by  such  a  force  of  the  hardy 
desperadoes  carrying  on  the  same  lawless  traffic,  that  the  douan- 
iers  were  either  forced  to  beat  a  retreat  or  get  fearfully  mauled 
in  the  contest  that  ensued.  One  day,  however,  three  of  these 
green-coated  guardians  of  the  French  revenue  caught  a  sight  of 
Juan  alone  and  unarmed.  They  pursued  him,  and  a  rare  race 
he  led  them,  over  cliff  and  crag,  across  rock  and  ravine, 
until  at  last  they  saw  with  exultation  that  he  made  right 
for  the  chasm  in  question,  and  there  they  made  sure  of  se- 
curing him.  It  seemed  as  if  he  had  forgotten  the  position  of  the 
cleft,  and  only  remembered  it  when  he  got  within  a  hundred 
yards  or  thereabouts,  for  then  he  slackened  his  pace.  The 
douaniers  gained  on  him,  and  expected  him  to  desist  from 
his  flight  and  surrender.  What  was  their  surprise  and  conster- 
nation when  they  saw  him,  on  reaching  the  edge  of  the  chasm, 
spring  from  the  ground  with  izard-like  agility,  and  by  one 
bold  leap  clear  the  yawning  abyss.  The  douaniers  uttered  a 
shout  of  rage  and  disappointment,  and  two  of  them  ceased  run- 
ning; but  the  third,  a  man  of  great  activity  and  courage,  and 
who  had  frequently  sworn  to  earn  the  reward  set  on  the  head  of 
Juan,  dared  the  perilous  jump.  He  fell  short ;  his  head  was 
dashed  against  the  opposite  rock,  and  his  horror-struck  compa- 
nions, gazing  down  into    the  dark  depth  beneath,  saw  his  body 


208  THE  smuggler's  leap. 


strike  against  the  crags  on   its  way  to  the  bottom  of  the  abyss 

The  smuggler  escaped,  and  the  spot  v/herc  the  tragical  incident 

occurred  was  thenceforward  known  as  "  Le  Saut  du  Contreban- 
dier." 

Before  our  guide  had  finished  his  narrative,  we  were  unanimous 
in  our  wish  to  visit  its  scene,  which  we  reached  by  the  time  he 
had  brought  the  tale  to  a  conclusion.  It  was  certainly  a  most 
remarkable  chasm,  whose  existence  was  only  to  be  accounted  for 
by  reference  to  the  volcanic  agency  of  which  abundant  traces 
exist  in  Southern  France.  The  whole  side  of  the  mountain  was 
cracked  and  rent  asunder,  forming  a  narrow  ravine  of  vast  depth, 
in  the  manner  of  the  famous  Mexican  harrancas.  In  some 
places  might  be  traced  a  sort  of  correspondence  on  the  opposite 
sides;  a  recess  on  one  side  into  which  a  projection  on  the  other 
would  have  nearly  fitted,  could  some  Antseus  have  closed  the  fis- 
sure. This,  however,  was  only  here  and  there ;  generally  speaking, 
the  rocky  brink  was  worn  by  the  action  of  time  and  water,  and  the 
rock  composing  it  sloped  slightly  downwards.  The  chasm  was 
of  various  width,  but  was  narrowest  at  the  spot  at  which  we 
reached  it,  and  really  did  not  appear  so  very  terrible  a  leap 
as  Cadet  made  it  out  to  be.  On  looking  down,  a  confusion  of 
bush-covered  crags  was  visible  ;  and  now  that  the  sun  was  high, 
a  narrow  stream  was  to  be  seen,  flowing,  like  a  line  of  silver  at 
the  bottom ;  the  ripple  and  rush  of  the  water,  repeated  by  the 
echoes  of  the  ravine,  ascending  to  our  ears  with  a  noise  like  that 
of  a  cataract.  On  a  large  fragment  of  rock,  a  few  yards  from 
the  brink,  was  rudely  carved  a  date,  and  below  it  two  letters. 
They  were  the  initials,  so  our  guide  informed  us,  of  the  unfortu- 
nate douanicr  who  had  there  met  his  death. 

Wc  had  remained  for  half  a  minute  or  so  gazing  down  into 
the  ravine,  when  Ashley,  who  was  on  the  right  of  the  party, 
broke  silence. 

"  Pshaw  1"  said  he,  stepping  back  from  the  edge,  "  that's  no 
leap.     Why,  I '11  jump  across  it  myself/' 

"  For  Ileaveu's  sake  !"  cried  Dora. 

"  Ashley,"  I  exclaimed,  "  don't  be  a  fool!" 


THE   SMUGGLERS   LEAP.  209 


But  n  '.vao  too  late.  "What  mad  impulse  possessed  him  I  can- 
uot  say.  but  certain  I  am,  from  my  knowledge  of  his  character, 
tliat  it  was  no  foolish  bravado  or  school  boy  desire  to  show  off, 
that  seduced  him  to  so  wild  a  freak.  The  fact  was,  but  for  the 
depth  below,  the  leap  did  not  look  at  all  formidable ;  not  above 
four  or  five  feet,  but  in  reality  it  was  a  deal  wider.  It  was  pro- 
bably this  deceitful  appcaranoe,  •aid  perhaps  the  feeling  which 
Englishmen  are  apt  to  entertain,  that  for  feats  of  strength  and 
agility  no  men  surpass  them,  that  convinced  "Walter  of  the  ease 
with  which  he  could  jump  across.  Before  we  could  stop  him  he 
took  a  short  run  and  jumped. 

A  scream  from  Dora  was  echoed  by  au  exclamation  of  horror 
from  M'Derraot  and  myself.  Ashley  had  eloared  the  chasm  and 
alighted  on  the  opposite  edge,  but  it  was  shelving  and  slippery, 
and  his  feet  slid  from  under  him.  For  one  moment  it  appeared 
as  if  he  would  instantly  be  dashed  to  pieces,  but  in  falling  he 
managed  to  catch  the  edge  of  the  rock  which  at  that  place 
formed  an  angle.  There  he  hung  by  his  hands,  his  whole  body 
in  the  air,  without  a  possibility  of  raising  himself;  far  below 
the  edge  the  rock  was  smooth  and  receding,  and  even  could  he 
have  reached  it,  he  would  have  found  no  foot-hold.  One  despe- 
rate effort  he  made  to  grasp  a  stunted  and  leafless  sapling  that 
grew  in  a  crevice  at  not  more  than  a  foot  from  the  edge,  but  it 
failed,  and  nearly  caused  his  instant  destruction.  Desisting  from 
further  effort  he  hung  motionless,  his  hands  convulsively  cramped 
to  the  ledge  of  rock,  which  afforded  so  slippery  and  difficult  a 
hold,  that  hia  sustaining  himself  by  it  at  all  seemed  a  miracle, 
and  could  only  be  the  result  of  uncommon  muscular  power.  It 
was  evident  that  no  human  strength  could  possibly  maintain  him 
for  more  than  a  minute  or  two  in  that  position ;  below  was  an 
abyss,  a  hundred  or  more  feet  deep — to  all  appearance  his  last 
hour  was  come. 

M'Dermot  and  I  stood  aghast  and  helpless,  gazing  with  open 
mouths  and  strained  eyeballs  at  our  unhappy  friend.  What 
could  we  do  ?  Were  we  to  dare  the  leap,  which  one  far  more 
active  and  vigorous  than  ourselves  had  unsuccessfully  attempted  ? 

A8* 


210  THE    smuggler's   LEAP. 


It  would  have  been  courting  destruction,  without  a  chance  of 
saving  Ashley.  But  Dora  put  us  to  shame.  One  scream,  and 
only  one,  she  uttered,  and  then,  gathering  up  her  habit,  she 
sprang  unaided  from  her  mule.  Her  cheek  was  pale  as  the 
whitest  marble,  but  her  presence  of  mind  was  unimpaired,  and 
she  seemed  to  gain  courage  and  decision  in  the  moment  of  peril. 
"  Your  cravats,  your  handkerchiefs  I"  cried  she,  unfastening, 
as  she  spoke,  her  long  cashmere  scarf.  Mechanically  M'Dermot 
and  myself  obeyed.  With  the  speed  of  light  and  a  woman's 
dexterity  she  knotted  together  her  scarf,  a  long  silk  cravat  which 
I  gave  her,  M'Dermot's  handkerchief  and  mine,  and  securing 
— how  I  know  not — a  stone  at  either  extremity  of  the  rope  thus 
formed,  she  threw  one  end  of  it,  with  sure  aim  and  steady  hand, 
across  the  ravine  and  round  the  sapling  already  referred  to.  Then 
leaning  forward  till  I  feared  she  would  fall  into  the  chasm,  and 
sprang  forward  to  hold  her  back,  she  let  go  of  the  other  end. 
Ashley's  hold  was  already  growing  feeble,  his  fingers  were  torn 
by  the  rock,  the  blood  started  from  under  his  nails,  and  he 
turned  his  face  towards  us  with  a  mute  prayer  for  succour.  At 
that  moment  the  two  ends  of  the  shawl  fell  against  him,  and 
he  instinctively  grasped  them.  It  was  a  moment  of  fearful 
suspense.  Would  the  knots  so  hastily  made  resist  the  tension 
of  his  weight  ?  They  did  so ;  he  raised  himself  by  strength 
of  wrist.  The  sapling  bent  and  bowed,  but  his  hand  was  now 
close  to  it.  He  grasped  it ;  another  powerful  effort,  the  last 
effort  of  despair,  and  he  lay  exhausted  and  almost  senseless  upon 
the  rocky  brink.  At  the  same  moment,  with  a  cry  of  joy,  Dora 
fell  fainting  into  her  brother's  arms. 


BUSSONE. 

THE  CARMAGNOLE. 

The  Carmagnole  was  the  name  of  a  song  and  dance  wliich  be- 
came popular  during  the  terrible  days  of  the  French  Revolution. 
Expressive  of  a  quick  step,  lively  and  animating,  the  air  was  a 
prodigious  favourite  with  the  Parisian  mobs  at  that  time,  who  used 
to  call  for  it  from  military  bands  and  the  orchestras  of  theatres, 
and  join  in  dancing  to  it,  singing  at  the  same  time  the  doggrel 
verses  which  had  been  composed  for  it — some  of  which  are 
here  translated.  They  evidently  bear  reference  to  the  first 
triumphs  over  the  royal  family  and  their  friends  in  August 
and  September,  1792,  (Monsieur  Veto  was  a  nickname  for 
Louis  XVL)— 

Madame  Veto  declared  that  she 

Would  slaughter  send  through  all  Paris ; 

She  lost,  as  it  appears, 

Thanks  to  our  canoneers, 

Let  us  dance  the  Carmagnole,  &c. 


Monsieur  Veto  did  vow  th.at  ho 
Would  to  his  country  faithful  be  ; 

How  has  he  kept  his  word  ? 

No  quarter — now  the  sword  ! 
Let  us  dance,  &c. 


(211) 


212  THE   CARMAGNOLE. 


Antoinette  resolved,  good  lack ; 
To  make  us  fall  upon  our  back  ; 

She  missed  ;  and  as  we  rose, 

She  got  a  broken  nose. 
Let  us  dance,  &c. 

I'm  a  sans-culotte,  and  sing, 
Spite  the  council  and  the  king  ; 

Hurra  Marseilles — the  cause. 

The  Bretons,  and  the  laws. 
Let  us  dance,  &c. 

We  '11  remember  long  and  sure, 
The  Sans-Ciilottes  of  iho  fauhow-^ 

Driuk  we  merrily. 

Dogs  of  Liberty. 
Let  us  dance,  &c. 

The  singing  and  dancing  of  the  Carmagnole  became  the  signal 
of  ferocious  assaults  on  authority,  and  the  expression  of  savage 
rejoicings  over  it.     On  any  occasion  of  excitement  on  the  streets, 
round   the    scaffold,   even  within  the   walls  of  the  convention, 
troops  of  sans-culottes  would  be  seen  circling  round  with  beating 
feet  to  this  tune,  with  faces  full  of  dreadful  meaning.     The  very 
prisoners  whom   suspicion  condemned  to  the  risk  of  a  horrible 
death,  no  one  could  say  how  soon,  would  cheer  themselves  with 
the  Carmagnole.     "Dansonsle  Carmagnole!"  were  amongst  the 
most  familiar  words  known  in  Paris  during  at  least  a  couple  of 
years.     Fashion  appropriated  the  word,  and  applied  it  to  a  pecu- 
liar form  of  hlouse,  with  wide  sleeves,  worn  by  the  revolutionists, 
and  all  those  who  wished   to    make  a  show  of  their  patriotism 
l^arrere,  and  some  other  members  of  the  convention,  also  gave  the 
name  of  Carmagnoles  to  the  measures  passed  by  that  body,  and  to 
some  of  the  orations  delivered  from  the  parliamentary  tribune  in 
fanatical  phraseology  having  reference  to  the  veto  or  opposition  of 
the  government  or  to  the  victories  of  the  army.  The  song  and  the 
new-fashioned  garment  both  disappeared  with  the  reign  of  terror. 
Our  readers  may  be  curious  to  learn  the  history  of  a  word  so 
celebrated.     Not  far  from   the  right  bank  of  the  Po,  near  the 


THE   CARMAGNOLE.  213 


city  of  Turin,  there  lived,  in  the  year  1405,  a  youth,  aged  fif- 
teen, who  had  earned  a  good  character  as  keeper  of  sheep  on  the 
farm  where  he  was  emploj^ed.  No  prowling  wolf,  driven  by 
hunger  from  the  hills,  or  roving  man-at-arms,  whose  trade  was 
war  and  rapine,  had  ever  been  able  to  elude  his  watchfulness. 
They  had  sometimes  it  is  true,  set  his  courage  at  defiance,  but 
with  a  result  that  made  them  repent  of  their  temerity,  until  at 
last  he  was  known  throughout  the  country  as  "  the  bold  shep- 
herd, Francesco  Bartolomeo  Bussone." 

During  the  time  that  Francesco  was  thus  tending  sheep,  war 
broke  out  in  Italy ;  a  war  of  parties ;  and  so  eager  was  the 
struggle  for  supremacy,  that  the  highways  were  infested  by  bands 
of  condottieri,  troops  who  hired  themselves  to  the  best  pay- 
master, or  to  the  chieftain  most  ready  to  accord  them  sack  and 
pillage  in  the  cities  taken  by  storm.  Facino  Cane  was  one  ot 
those  partizaii  leaders,  who  fought  indifferently  for  Venice  or 
Genoa,  Milan  or  Turin,  careless  whether  their  banner  bore  the 
evangelical  lion  of  St.  Mark,  or  the  silver  cross  of  Sardinia.  At 
that  time  no  person  below  the  rank  of  a  noble  could  rise  to  the 
command  of  regular  troops  ',  but  to  be  a  leader  in  the  companies 
of  Facino  Cane,  the  only  qualifications'  required  were  a  whole- 
some contempt  of  danger,  and  such  skill  in  strategy  as  might  de- 
ceive an  enemy  or  decide  a  victory. 

Francesco  was  sleeping  by  the  roadside  on  one  of  those  eve- 
nings when,  in  Italy,  the  declining  sun  paints  the  sky  in  golden 
splendor,  and  the  fleecy  clouds  glow  with  hues  as  of  some  far-off 
conflagration.  A  man  passing  by  stopped,  and  commanded  the 
young  shepherd  to  rise;  whereupon  Francesco  opened  his  eyes 
and  rose  to  his  feet.  The  stranger  regarded  him  with  a  scruti- 
nizing eye,  and  said  musingly,  ''There  is  a  man's  stature." 
"  And  a  man's  heart,"  rejoined  Francesco,  raising  bis  arm  to 
strike  the  intruder,  who  had  aroused  him  so  unceremoniously. 
"  I  am  Facino  Cane,"  replied  the  connoiseur  of  bone  and  muscle  ; 
on  hearing  which  the  arm  of  the  shepherd  remained  suspended 
for  an  instant,  and  then  fell  unnerved  to  his  side.  "  Yes,  Facino 
Cane,  who  has  risen  from  the  ranks  in  the  troops  of  Visconti, 


214  THE    CARMAGNOLE. 


and  made  himself  Prince  of  Tortoue  and  Vercelli,  because  the 
world  belongs  to  men  of  heart."  *'  In  that  case/'  answered  Fran- 
cesco, "  I  have  to  demand  my  portion  of  inheritance  from  Italy." 
"  Here  is  the  key  of  your  ducal  castle,"  added  Facino,  buckling 
a  heavy  sword  to  the  young  man's  side,  whose  eyes  sparkled  as 
he  followed  the  soldier-prince  in  his  journeys  over  the  country, 
recruiting  his  army  with  all  those  who,  to  the  stature  of  a  man, 
added  the  desire  for  military  honours.  , 

In  1424,  the  marriage  of  the  Count  of  Castel  Nuovo  with 
Antoinette  Visconti,  niece  of  Philippe  Marie,  Duke  of  Milan, 
was  celebrated  in  the  capital  of  the  duchy.  The  palace  del  Bro- 
letto,  built  for  the  newly  wedded  pair,  resounded  with  festive 
songs;  while  the  blazonry  of  escutcheons,  hanging  on  the  wain- 
scotted  walls  of  the  hall  of  state,  showed  with  what  proud  titles 
the  sovereign  duke  honoured  a  subject  in  his  royal  alliance.  One 
commemorated  the  taking  of  Placenza,  another  the  surrender  of 
Brescia,  a  third  the  siege  of  Bergami;  on  the  other  side  the 
guests  might  read,  Milan  reconquered,  and  the  reunion  of 
Genoa  to  the  ducal  crown ;  while  in  the  centre  of  a  trophy  rose, 
straight  and  glittering,  the  great  sword  given  by  Facino  Cane 
to  the  shepherd  Francesco  Bartolomco  Bussone,  become  success- 
ively captain  and  general,  tinder  the  name  of  Carmagnole ;  and 
afterwards,  by  the  marriage  now  spoken  of,  count,  and  nejihew 
of  the  duke  of  Milan. 

Not  long  after,  a  man  accused  of  having  excited' the  enthusiasm 
of  his  soldiers,  of  having  won  the  love  of  conquered  people  by 
his  moderation  in  the  hour  of  victory,  and  of  having,  in  short, 
injured  his  master  by  his  high  position  in  the  esteem  and  admi- 
ration of  foreigners,  was  seen  slowly  following  the  road  to  Venice. 
He  left  behind  him  the  immense  wealth  he  had  won,  confiscated 
by  the  unjust  avarice  of  his  sovereign ;  and  without  knowing 
where  to  find  a  shelter,  he  carried  nothing  but  the  great  sword 
of  Facino  Cane,  and  the  ineffaceable  glory  associated  with  his 
name.  It  is  said  that  one  evening,  overcome  with  fatigue,  he 
knocked  at  the  door  of  a  mean  cottage,  and  being  without  the 
means  of  paying  for  a  lodging,  he  ventured  to  mention  a  name 


THE   CAKMAGNOLE.  215 


proscribed  by  the  law  in  support  of  his  request  for  a  shelter  be- 
neath the  humble  roof.  The  whole  family  fell  at  the  feet  of  the 
great  general.  The  women  offered  their  tenderest  cares,  the 
men  volunteered  unlimited  services,  and  a  little  child  was  named 
Felix  Glorioso  (Happy  and  glorious)  on  the  spot,  from  having 
touched,  in  his  play,  the  hilt  of  the  sword  of  Carmagnole. 

In  1430,  there  was  at  Venice  a  general  of  fortune,  whom 
princes  even,  in  the  service  of  the  republic,  considered  it  an 
.honour  to  obey.  Having  escaped  the  dagger  of  an  assassin,  sent 
by  Duke  Philippe  Marie  of  Milan,  to  acquit  a  debt  of  gratitude  by 
a  murder,  the  new  Venetian  general  received  from  the  hands  of  the 
doge,  before  the  altar  of  St.  Mark,  the  standard  and  baton  of 
commander,  which  assured  to  him  the  supreme  authority  over 
the  armies  and  territory  of  Venice.  This  man,  loaded  with 
honours  and  riches,  who  extended  every  day  the  limits  of  the  re- 
public, and  consolidated  her  power,  was  again  Carmagnole. 

The  5th  of  June,  1432,  the  ministers  of  justice  led  a  man  bound 
and  gagged  between  the  two  columns  of  the  Piazetta  of  Venice. 
An  assistant  forced  his  head  down  upon  the  block  which  stood 
prepared,  and  the  executioner,  with  one  blow,  struck  off  the  head 
of  the  sufferer,  already  half  dead  with  grief  and  torture.  The 
crime  publicly  brought  against  him,  was  that  of  having  per- 
mitted four  hundred  prisoners  of  war  to  return  to  the  cultivation 
of  their  fields.  The  secret  accusation  was,  however,  having 
merited  the  confidence  of  the  senate,  without  leaving  any  room 
to  suspect  his  fidelity  to  the  republic;  and  as  his  influence  over 
the  army  could  not  be  diminished  without  failing  in  the  recom- 
pense due  to  him,  he  was  made  the  victim  of  an  unjust  trial, 
under  the  impression  that  there  was  less  of  ingratitude  in  taking 
his  life,  than  in  the  exhibition  of  distrust  after  all  the  services 
he  had  rendered. 

Is  it  necessary  to  add  that  this  man,  whom  tyranny  doomed  to 
a  traitor's  death,  but  whose  whole  life  had  been  that  of  a  hero, 
was  the  Sardinian  shepherd  boy,  the  companion  of  Facino  Cane, 
the  saviour  of  Duke  Philippe  Marie  of  Milan,  the  protector  of 


216 


THE   CARMAGNOLE. 


Venice;  in  one  word,  Francesco  Bartolomeo  Bussoae,  surnamed 
Carmagnole  ? 

It  was  orignally  to  celebrate  this  popular  hero  that  the  song  * 
and  dance  of  the  Carmagnole  took  their  rise  in  Piedmont  in  the 
fifteenth  century.     Strange  with  what  different  associations  the 
name  was  to  be  afterwards  invested. 


\.W^;^^ 


"""-^^^^^■Xwii 


CARMAGNOLE   THE    SHEPHERD    AT    HIS   MORNING   DEVOTIONS. 


CHARLES  AND  SUSANNE.— A  REAL  INCIDENT. 

Some  months  after  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  Captain  Thierry, 
at  eight  o  clock  in  the  evening,  was  standing  in  the  court  of  the 
great  post-house,  one  arm  in  a  scarf,  and  the  other  loaded  with  a 
small  trunk,  which  contained  nearly  all  the  fortune  of  the  offi- 
cer on  half-pay ;  (for  such  was  the  condition  of  the  captain,  who 
departed  in  '89  from  Candebcc,  with  a  few  crowns  in  his  pocket, 
to  enrol  himself  at  Paris,)  returned  to  his  country  in  1812,  no 
richer  than  he  was  about  twenty-sis  years  before,  but  the  bearer  of 
most  honourable  badges  of  service,  covered  with  glorious  wounds, 
decorated  with  the  cross  of  the  legion  of  honour,  and  with  the 
rank  of  captain.  He  was  forty-five  years  old.  The  captain 
gave  his  little  trunk  to  the  post-boy,  and  awaited  the  moment  of 
departure.  The  conductor  gave  the  signal,  placed  every  body, 
then,  opening  the  door  of  the  interior — 

"  Captain  Thierry,"  said  he,  ''  Madame  the  Marquise  of  Belle- 
Chasse,  and  her  waiting-maid." 

The  captain  moved  courteously,  to  let  the  ladies  get  in,  and 
then  took  his  seat.  He  braced  himself  in  a  corner;  and,  having 
placed  his  wounded  arm  in  such  a  manner  as  to  suflfer  as  little  as 
possible,  he  tried  to  sleep.  The  Marquise  de  Belle-Chasse  was 
quite  as  silent  on  her  part,  and  the  timid  voice  of  the  maid  was 
only  heard  from  time  to  time,  when  she  asked,  "  Is  Madame  la 
Marquise  well  ?  Is  Madame  la  Marquise  cold  ?  Does  she  wish  me 
to  put  a  shawl  around  her  feet  ?  Does  she  wish  her  flask  of  ether  ?" 

"No,  Lise,"  replied  the  marquise;  "  I  wish  for  nothing;  I 
am  perfectly  comfortable." 

While  trying  to  fall  asleep,  the  captain  actually  did  so;  and 
for  some  hours  he  had  forgotten  the  marquise  and  her  maid,  when 
the  diligence  suddenly  stopped,  and  he  awoke. 

19  (217) 


218  CHARLES   AND   SUSANNE. 


"Monsieur  officer,"  exclaimed  the  marquise,  "  save  us  I" 

li  Very  willingly,  madame,"  replied  the  captain,  throwing  oflf 
his  cloak.     "  What's  the  matter  ?" 

"Robbers,  monsieur!"  said  the  marquise:  "robbers!  They 
say  we  are  in  the  Black  Forest." 

The  captain  put  his  head  out  of  the  door,  and  saw  that  the 
diligence  was  surrounded  by  fifteen  or  twenty  gallants,  well 
mounted  and  well  armed.  The  postillion  was  off  his  horse,  the 
conductor  had  left  his  seat,  and  both  were  tied  in  such  a  manner 
that  they  could  make  no  further  resistance.  Three  or  four  of 
these  audacious  robbers  were  already  in  the  imperial,  and  rifling 
every  packet  of  its  contents  :  others  had  cut  the  horses'  traces 
and  broken  one  of  the  wheels  of  the  diligence,  which  at  any 
moment,  might  lose  its  equilibrium,  and  upset. 

"  Madame,"  said  the  captain,  "  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  serve 
you ;  we  are  attacked  in  such  a  fashion  that  we  must  surrender 
without  a  blow,  unless  we  die  like  heroes  on  the  field  of  battle; 
and  I  confess  to  you  that  it  would  be  very  painful  to  me,  who  all 
my  life  have  fronted  the  fii*e  of  the  enemy's  soldiers,  to  perish 
on  the  highway,  and  that,  too,  by  the  hand  of  a  robber.  Be- 
sides I  am  unarmed,  and  wounded  in  the  right  arm." 

He  was  still  speaking,  when  the  chief  of  the  troop  opened  the 
door  and  begged  the  captain  and  his  companions  to  have  the  good- 
ness to  alight. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  captain,  placing  himself  before  the  mar- 
quise and  her  maid,  "  there  are  two  things  which,  living,  I  will 
never  allow :  one  is,  insult  to  ladies;  the  other,  this  cross  of 
honour  to  be  taken  from  my  breast,  which  I  have  gained  with  the 
price  of  my  blood." 

"  You  may  keep  your  cross,  monsieur,"  said  one  of  the  rob- 
bers politely,  "  but  you  will  give  us  your  watch." 

"  Certainly,"  replied  the  captain,  drawing  from  his  fob  a 
beautiful  gold  watch. 

"  As  for  the  ladies,"  continued  the  robber,  "  they  have  nothing 
to  fear,  if  they  are  only  reasonable ;  if  they  will  give  us  their 
purses,  their  gold  chains,  and  especially,"  added  the  robber,  ap- 


CUAULES  AND  SUSANNE.  219 


proacliing  tbs  luarquise,  "  if  raadame  will  confide  to  rue  that 
little  jewel  which  ornaments  her  pretty  hand." 

It  was  a  large  diamond,  a  solitaire,  which  glided  from  the  mar- 
quise's slender  fingers  into  the  callous  hand  of  the  robber.  All 
was  done  in  an  instant;  the  booty  placed  on  their  horses,  which, 
mounted  by  the  bold  horsemen,  started  off  at  a  full  gallop. 

It  was  nearly  midnight.  The  travellers  assembled  on  the 
highway  ;  they  first  untied  the  postillion  and  conductor,  who 
were  fastened  back  to  back,  and  then  consulted  on  the  means  of 
continuing  their  journey,  or,  at  least,  of  finding  a  shelter  for 
the  night.  Fortunately  they  had  not  far  to  go  to  reach  the 
town  of  Vernon  ;  the  captain  gave  his  arm  to  the  marquise,  and 
at  the  end  of  half  an  hour  Madame  de  Belle-Chasse  was  seated 
by  a  good  fire,  opposite  the  captain,  and  both  of  them  relished 
an  excellent  cup  of  tea,  concealed  by  the  maid  from  the  investi- 
gation of  the  robbers. 

''  Indeed,"  said  Madame  de  Belle-Chasse,  speaking  to  herself, 
''  it  was  only  from  the  marquise." 

"And  I,"  said  the  captain,  in  his  turn,  perfectly  comprehend- 
ing her,  "  I  only  had  it  from  the  watca-makcr,  and  it  was  not  as 
gnod  as  he  warranted  it." 

There  was  a  moment's  silence,  and  the  captain,  who  had  lost 
a  little  of  his  dislike  for  marquises,  or  perhaps  the  events  of  the 
night  had  made  him  forget  his  political  prejudices,  drew  nearer 
to  Madame  de  Belle-Chasse,  whose  veil  half  hid  her  face,  and 
said  familiarly — 

"  Parbleu  !  madame,  this  route  is  favourable — fatal,  I  mean,  to 
me.     It  is  not  the  first  time  that  I  have  been  stopped  on  it." 

"  Indeed,  monsieur  1" 

"  Yes,  madame ;  and  I  confess  that  souvenir  is  one  of  the 
sweetest  of  my  life.  Imagine  that  in  '90 — I  was  twenty  then, 
and  had  left  Caudebec  to  go  to  Paris,  republican  as  all  were  then. 
Pardon,  madam — " 

"  Not  at  all,  monsieur,  not  at  all ;  opinions  are  free." 

"  This  marquise  is  very  liberal,"  thought  the  captain. 

He  wanted  to  see  the  face  of  the  marquise,  but  a  green  veil 


220  CHARLES   AND    SDSANNE. 


nearly  covered  it  j  yet,  from  a  smile  on  her  lips  he  .ventured  to 
proceed. 

"  I  was  then  a  republican,"  said  he,  ''  and  I  was  going  to  Paris 
to  demand  arms  and  a  passport  to  the  frontier.  At  Rouen  I 
took  a  bad  carriage  into  which  about  fifteen  passengers  were 
stowed  in  the  most  uncomfortable  manner,  and  which  took  two 
days  to  go  thirty  leagues.  In  those  times  there  were  robbers — " 

"As  well  as  now,  monsieur." 

"  Oh  !  madame,  many  more,  and  far  more  dangerous ;  the 
chouans,  forgers,  and  companies  of  Jesuits,  terrible  frequenters 
of  the  highways,  who,  under  political  pretexts,  infested  the  roads, 
and  killed  peasants  even  in  their  cottages.  We  were  assailed, 
as  we  were  to-night,  by  ferocious  men,  plunderers  and  assassins ; 
they  were  quite  numerous,  and,  as  at  this  time,  all  resistance  was 
useless.  They  made  us  leave  the  carriage,  forced  us  to  sit  down 
on  the  roadside,  and  brutally  searcbe!  us.  What  should  we  do? 
Let  ourselves  be  killed  by  the  brigauds  ?  It  would  be  to  die  a 
useless  and  almost  shameful  death.  The  two  or  three  men  who 
were  with  me  in  the  carriage  submitted ;  I  did  the  same.  I  had 
a  young  citoyenne  near  me.  Pardon,  madame  ;  they  were  called 
citizens  then." 

"  Proceed,  monsieur,"  said  the  marquise. 

"  A  young  woman.  Ah  !  madame,  I  have  travelled  over  all 
Europe,  Italy,  Spnin,  Gcrniraiy,  Poland,  and  never  saw  one  so 
beautiful,  so  graceful,  so  perfect.  The  poor  child  was  from 
Rouen ;  she  was  going  to  Paris  to  be  married  to  a  jockey,  to 
whom  she  had  been  betrothed,  and  carried  her  dowrie  in  her 
bodice." 

"  In  her  bodice,  monsieur?"  exclaimed  the  marquise. 

"  Yes,  madame,"  replied  the  captain.  "  Susaune,  (that  was 
her  name,)  needed  no  fortune ;  had  I  been  king,  I  would  have 
shared  my  crov/n  witli  her,  only  for  her  beautiful  eyes;  she  had, 
uc\\-ri,lioless,  iLltchad  iii::^Ly  louio  in  her  bodice,  which  she  was 
carrying  with  her  to  her  betrothed." 

'*  Do  you  bcliiiVc,"  aiked  the  marquise,  "that  she  loved  the 
jockey  ?" 


CHARLES   AND    SUSANNE.  221 


*'  lie  was  from  Rouen  as  well  as  she  ;  their  parents  had  ar- 
ranged the  marriage,  and  she  asked  nothing  but  to  love  him. 
But  you  are  going  to  see.  The  chouans  began  with  me  ;  I  had 
no  watch  then,  nor  captain's  epaulettes ;  but  they  robbed  me  of 
a  few  crowns  in  my  little  purse,  then  went  to  Susanne ;  they 
searched  her.  One  Chouan,  very  skilful  in  his  profession,  dis- 
covered without  difficulty  the  young  girl's  treasure ;  and  in  a 
wink  the  lace  which  confined  her  bodice  was  cut,  and  Susanne's 
dower  passed  into  the  hands  of  those  gentlemen.  The  young 
girl  was  near  me,  sitting  close  by  the  fence,  weeping  and  half 
clad.  I  began  by  giving  her  an  old  cloak,  which  had  not  tempted 
the  robbers'  cupidity.  Then,  on  seeing  her  so  beautiful,  I  com- 
prehended there  was  something  more  precious  than  her  dower. 
I  said  to  her,  '  Citoyenne,  we  are  in  bad  hands ;  trust  me,  and  let 
us  get  away  from  this  place.'  She  thought  as  I  did,  and  decided 
to  follow  me.  We  crouched  along  the  road  in  the  dark,  and 
when  we  thought  we  had  got  far  enough,  we  arose,  took  each 
other's  hand,  and  ran  without  knowing  where. 

"  At  length  daylight  appeared.  We  were  in  a  little  village, 
whose  name  I  have  foi'cotten,  but  which  was  not  far  from  the 
road  to  Paris,  and  both  of  us  were  without  a  sous;  she  without 
a  bodice,  I  without  a  cloak ;  we  took  the  road  to  the  capital ; 
that  unites  a  great  deal  madame." 

"  I  believe  so,"  said  the  marquise. 

"  At  Paris,  the  business  was  to  find  Susanne's  jockey.  I 
might  have  injured  her  in  seeking  for  him;  she  undertook  it  all 
alone.     I  saw  her  depart  with  tears  in  her  eyes." 

"  May  heaven  conduct  you,  citoyenne  Susanne,"  said  I,  "  and 
make  you  as  happy  as  you  deserve  to  be." 

"Had  I  made  the  campaign  of  Italy  before  that  time,  I  should 
have  found  something  else  to  have  said  to  her.  She  appeared, 
on  her  part,  sorry  to  leave  me ;  I  was  then  a  handsome  youth, 
ruddy  and  well-built,  such  as  I  still  was  five  years  ago  in  my 
regiment,  where  they  called  me  the  handsome  captain.  I  gave 
her  my  address,  told  her  to  count  on  me,  if  she  had  need  of  as- 
sistance or  protection,  and  at  last  we  separated.      Two  hours 

19* 


222  CHARLES   AND   SUSANNE. 


afterwards,  she  returned  to  mc.  Would  you  believe  that  her 
jockey  did  not  want  her  ?  He  was  a  coarse  young  man,  avari- 
cious, more  tempted  with  the  dower  than  the  young  girl ;  he 
would  have  refused  Venus  herself,  if  she  had  not  sixty  louis  j 
he  proved  it,  for  Susanne  was  as  beautiful  as  Venus.  She  was 
then  with  me,  who  loved  her,  and  whom  she  loved;  refused  by 
Jean  Crochart,  (that  was  the  jockey's  name,)  and  not  daring  to 
return  to  her  parents,  because  her  fortune  had  been  stolen  from 
her.  She  had  not  a  sous  ',  I  was  a  little  richer  than  she,  for  I 
had  found  a  relation  who  had  lent  me  fifty  crowns.  I  put  my 
little  fortune  into  her  hands,  and  soon  afterwards  they  called  me 
into  the  army. 

"  I  left  her,  and  with  her  I  left  my  heart.  For  fifteen  years 
I  wrote  from  Italy,  Egypt  and  Spain.  It  is  now  ten  years  since 
I  have  written  to  her,  but  I  had  always  hoped.  Since  Waterloo, 
I  have  hoped  no  longer.  The  old  soldier  lias  lost  all,  his 
emperor,  rank  in  the  world,  his  eagles,  and  her  whom  he 
loved.  Pardon,  madame  !  perhaps  you  do  not  understand  such 
things." 

"  Charles  !  Charles  I"  exclaimed  the  marquise,  "  do  you  not 
recognise  me  ?" 

The  captain  sprang  upon  his  chair ;  his  movement  was  so 
violent  that  he  upset  his  cup  of  tea.  He  lifted  the  green  veil 
which  covered  the  marquise's  face. 

"  You  Susanne  ?"  said  he ;  "  you  Susanne,  Madame  la 
Marquise  ?" 

And  he  looked  at  the  black  eyes,  still  beautiful,  although  she 
was  as  much  as  forty-three ;  the  forehead  white,  and  the  lips  still 
rosy  ;  a  tranquil  life  had  prolonged  her  youth. 

"  Yes,  'tis  1 1"  said  the  marquise ;  "  and  although  I  am 
a  widow,  I  have  been  almost  as  faithful  as  you,  for  I  have  always 
loved  you.  If  I  did  not  answer  your  letters,  it  was  because  I 
only  received  the  first  ones,  and  not  knowing  at  that  time  how 
to  road  or  write,  the  idea  of  taking  a  third  into  our  confidence 
was  repugnant  to  mc.  You  advised  me  to  return  to  Rouen — it 
was  impracticable  j  you  do  not  know   how   sensible  a  Norman 


CIIAKLES   AND   SUSANNE.  223 


family  arc  to  the  loss  of  sixty  louis.  They  would  not  have  re- 
ceived me  at  home  ;  I  remained  in  Paris ;  still  I  must  live.  A 
young  marquis,  who  wished  neither  to  serve  the  republic  nor  go 
to  foreign  countries  fell  in  love  with  me.  I  loved  you ;  I  had 
no  difficulty  in  remaining  wise.  Then  the  Marquis  of  Bellc- 
Chassc  proposed  to  marry  me  at  the  altar  of  reason.  I  saw 
through  his  intentions,  and  I  told  him  he  would  not  lead  me  be- 
fore the  altar  of  reason,  until  we  had  been  married  by  a  priest. 
He  consented.  As  I  have  already  told  you,  I  did  not  love  him ;  and 
I  soon  saw  that  he  was  a  feeble  being,  whom  it  was  necessary  to 
govern,  to  avoid  being  vinhappy  with  him — for  there  is  nothing 
worse  than  being  governed  by  weak  people.  I  easily  escaped 
this  danger,  and  for  twenty  years  he  was  my  humble  servitor. 
He  knew  nothing  more  than  to  regret  his  lost  nobility,  and  died, 
very  mal  aj^rnj^os,  two  or  three  years  before  the  return  of  those 
whom  he  called  masters,  and  his  death  has  left  me  a  rich  dowa- 
ger. I  have,  my  good  Charles,  houses  in  Paris;  I  have  claims 
on  the  estate  j  I  have,  in  fine,  at  two  leagues  from  Rouen,  the 
superb  estate  of  Belle-Chasse." 

At  this  moment,  which  was  about  day-break,  Lise  entered  the 
room  where  the  mai'quise  and  the  captain  were  sitting,  to  tell 
them  that  a  diligence  was  going  that  very  instant  from  Vernon, 
and  that  it  had  places  to  accommodate  both  the  marquise  and 
the  captain. 

"  Captain,"  said  the  marquise,  "it  is  impossible  for  you  to  go 
as  far  as  Caudebec  without  suffering  a  great  deal ;  you  are 
wounded,  and  you  have  no  orders  for  the  hospital;  you  must  go 
to  Belle-Chasse." 

This  proposition  was  accepted,  and  the  souvenirs  of  love  were 
BO  sweet  and  so  powerful — the  captain  was  still  a  handsome  man 
— that  M.  Thierry  left  Belle-Chasse  only  to  go  and  visit  his  old 
father,  and  get  indispensable  papers.  He  afterwards  returned, 
and  married  the  marquise.  Thus  the  poor  officer  on  half-pay  be- 
came a  rich  proprietor. 

Some    days  after  the  wedding,   a  fat  individual,    in    a    blue 


224  CHARLES   AND   SUSANNE. 


jacket  and  cap  d'astracan,  presented  himself  in  the  saloon,  just 
after  breakfast. 

"  Pardon,  excuse  monsieur  and  madame/'  said  he,  with  a  cant- 
ing smile;  ''you  do  not  recognize  me  !" 

"  Ah  !"  said  the  marquise,  "  you  were  conductor  when  we 
were  stopped  on  the  high-way.  Very  well,  there  was  no  harm 
in  it." 

"Indeed,  madame!  There's  a  reasonable  person!  They  do 
not  at  all  resemble  you  in  the  post-house.  They  want  even  to 
make  me  pay  for  the  wheel  which  the  robbers  broke,  and  I  come 
to  ask  for  a  certificate — " 

"  Vei*y  willingly,  my  friend,"  said  the  captain,  without  giving 
him  time  to  finish  his  sentence.     "  What  is  your  name  ?" 

"Jean  Crochart!"  said  the  captain. 

"  Jean  Crochart  I"  repeated  Madame  Thierry,  with  that  dis- 
dainful air  which  women  always  have  to  men  who  have  proved 
themselves  unworthy.     "Jean  Crochart,  formerly  a  jockey?" 

"  Yes,  madam,  at  your  service." 

"Very  well,  sirrah!  Go  dov/n  to  the  office;  my  husband 
will  send  you  the  certificate  you  want ;  and  if  the  administration 
of  the  post  make  you  pay  for  the  broken  wheel,  write  to  me,  and 
I  will  reimburse  you." 

Jean  Crochart  obeyed,  and  left  the  chateau  de  Belle-Chasse 
without  ever  suspecting  that  he  had  refused  the  hand  of  Madame 
Thierry,  or  by  what  strange  chance  Susanne  and  Charles  had 
been  reunited,  after  one  had  acquired  glory,  and  the  other  a 
fortune. 


THE  WALCHEREN  EXPEDITION. 

After  the  disastrous  retreat  to  Corunna,  the  Rifles  were  re- 
duced to  a  sickly  skeleton,  if  1  may  so  term  it.  Out  of  perhaps 
nine  hundred  of  as  active  and  fine  fellows  as  ever  held  a  weapon 
in  the  field  of  an  enemy's  country,  we  paraded  some  three 
hundred  weak  and  crest-fallen  invalids. 

I  myself  stood  the  third  man  in  my  own  company,  which  was 
reduced  from  near  a  hundred  men  to  hut  three.  Indeed,  I  think 
we  had  scarce  a  company  on  parade  stronger  than  ten  or  twelve 
men,  at  the  first  parade.  After  a  few  parades,  however,  our 
companies  gradually  were  augmented,  (by  those  of  the  sick  who 
recovered,)  but  many  of  those  who  did  not  sink  in  hospital, 
were  never  more  of  much  service  as  soldiers. 

After  a  while,  some  of  the  strongest  and  smartest  of  our  men 
were  picked  out  to  go  on  the  recruiting  service,  and  gather  men 
from  the  militia  regiment  to  fill  up  our  ranks.  I  myself  started 
off  with  Lieut.  Pratt,  Serjeant-Major  Adams,  and  William  Bro- 
therwood,  the  latter  of  whom  was  afterwards  killed  at  Vittoria 
by  a  cannon-ball,  which  at  the  same  moment  ended  Patrick 
Mahon  and  Lieut.  Hopwood. 

I  was  a  shoemaker  in  the  corps,  and  had  twenty  pounds  in  my 
pocket,  which  I  had  saved  up.  With  this  money  I  hired  a  gig, 
a.nd  the  serjeant-major  and  myself  cut  a  very  smart  figure.  The 
only  difiiculty  was,  that  neither  of  us  knew  how  to  drive  very 
well,  consequently  we  overturned  the  gig  on  the  first  day,  before 
we  got  half-way  on  our  journey,  and  the  shafts  being  broken  we 
were  obliged  to  leave  it  behind  us  in  a  small  village,  midway 
Hythe  and  Eye,  and  take  to  our  legs,  as  was  more  soldier-like 
and  seemly.  We  reached  Rye  the  first  night,  and  I  recollect 
that  I  succeeded  in  getting  the  first  recruit  there,  a  strong,  able- 

(225) 


226  THE   WALCHEREN    EXPEDITION". 


bodied  chimney-sweep,  named  John  Lee.  This  fellow  (whose 
appearance  T  was  struck  with  as  he  sat  in  the  taproom  of  the 
Red  Lion  on  that  night,  together  with  a  little  boy  as  black  and 
sooty  as  himself)  offered  to  enlist  the  moment  T  entered  the  room, 
and  I  took  him  at  his  word ;  and  immediately  called  for  the  ser- 
jeant-major  for  approval. 

''  There's  nothing  against  my  being  a  soldier,"  said  the  sweep, 
"but  my  black  face;  I'm  strong,  active,  and  healthy,  and  able 
to  lick  the  best  man  in  this  room." 

"Damn  your  black  face,"  said  the  serjeant-major ;  "the  Ri- 
fles can't  be  too  dark;  you're  a  strong  rascal,  and  if  you  mean 
it,  we'll  take  you  to  the  doctor  to-morrow  and  make  a  giniril  of 
you  the  next  day."  So  we  had  the  sweep  that  night  into 
a  large  tub  of  water,  and  scoured  him  outside,  and  filled  him  with 
punch  inside,  and  made  a  rifleman  of  him.  * 

The  serjeant-major,  however,  on  this  night,  suspected  from  his 
countenance,  what  afterwards  turned  out  to  be  the  case,  that  Lee 
was  rather  a  slippery  fellow,  and  might  repent.  So  after  filling 
him  drunk,  he  said  to  me — "  Harris,  you  have  caught  this  bird, 
and  yoii,  must  keep  him  fast.  You  must  both  sleep  to-night 
handcuffed  together  in  the  same  bed,  or  he  will  escape  us ;" 
which  I  actually  did,  and  the  next  morning  retraced  my  steps 
with  him  to  Hythe,  to  be  passed  by  the  doctor  of  our  regiment. 

After  rejoining  Sergeant-Major  Adams  at  Rye,  we  started  off 
for  Hastings  to  Sussex,  and  on  our  way  we  heard  of  the  Eas-t 
Kent  militia  at  Lydd ;  so  we  stopped  there  about  an  hour  to 
display  ourselves  before  them,  and  try  if  we  could  coax  a  few 
of  them  into  the  Rifles.  We  strutted  up  and  down  before  their 
ranks  arm  and  arm,  and  made  no  small  sensation  amongst  them. 

When  on  the  recruiting  service  in  those  days,  men  were  ac- 
customed to  make  as  gallant  a  show  as  they  could,  and  accord- 
ingly we  had  both  smartened  ourselves  up  a  trifle.  The  serjeant- 
major  was  quite  a  beau,  in  his  way;  he  had  a  sling  belt  to  his 
sword  like  a  field  officer,  a  tremeadous  green  feather  in  his  cap, 
a  flaring  sash,  his  whistle  and  powder-flask  displayed,  an  officer's 
pelisse  over  one  shoulder,  and  a   double  allowance  of  ribbons  in 


TUE   WALGHEREN  EXPEDITION.  227 


his  cap ;  whilst  I  myself  was  also  as  smart  as  I  dared  appear, 
with  my  rifle  slung  at  my  shoulder. 

In  this  guise  we  made  as  much  of  ourselves  as  if  we  had  both 
been  generals,  and,  as  I  said,  created  quite  a  sensation,  the  mili- 
tia-men cheering  us  as  we  passed  up  and  down,  till  they  were 
called  to  order  by  the  officers. 

The  permission  to  volunteer  was  not  then  given  to  the  East 
Kent,  although  it  came  out  a  few  days  afterwards,  and  we  per- 
suaded many  men,  during  the  hour  we  figured  before  them, 
that  the  rifles  were  the  only  boys  fit  for  them  to  join. 

After  looking  up  the  East  Kent,  we  reached  Hastings  that 
same  night,  where  we  fouud  that  the  volunteering  of  the  Leices- 
ter militia,  (who  were  quartered  there)  had  commenced,  and  that 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five  men  and  two  officers  had  given  their 
names  to  the  7th  Fusileers,  and  these  Adams  and  I  determined 
to  make  change  their  mind  in  our  favour  if  we  could. 

The  appearance  of  our  rifle  uniform,  and  a  little  of  Serjeant 
Adams'  blarney,  so  took  the  fancies  of  the  volunteers,  that  we 
got  every  one  of  them  into  the  rifle  corps,  and  both  officers  into 
the  bargain.  AYe  worked  hard  in  this  business.  I  may  say  that 
for  three  days  and  nights  we  kept  up  the  dance  and  the  drunken 
riot.  Every  volunteer  got  ten  guineas  bounty,  which  except  the 
two  kept  back  for  necessaries,  they  spent  in  every  sort  of 
excess,  till  all  was  gone.  Then  came  the  reaction.  The  droop- 
ing spirits,  the  grief  at  parting  with  old  comrades,  sweet-hearts, 
and  wives,  for  the  uncertain  fate  of  war.  And  then  came  on 
the  jeers  of  the  old  soldier;  the  laughter  of  Adams  and  myself, 
and  comrades,  and  our  attempts  to  give  a  fillip  to  their  spirits  as 
we  marched  them  ofi"  from  the  friends  they  were  never  to  look 
upon  again;  and,  as  we  termed  it,  ''shove  them  on  to  glory" — 
a  glory  they  were  not  long  in  achieving,  as  out  of  the  hundred 
and  fifty  Leicestershire,  which  wc  enlisted  in  Hastings,  scarce 
one  man,  I  should  say,  who  served,  but  could  have  shown  at 
the  year's  end  some  token  of  the  fields  he  had  fought  in ;  very 
many  found  a  grave,  and  some  returned  to  Hythe  with  the  loss 
of  their  limbs. 


228  THE   wyvLCHEREN   EXPEDITION. 


I  remember  the  story  of  many  of  these  men's  lives;  one  in 
■particular  named  Demon,  wlio,  I  myself  enlisted  from  the  Lei- 
cestershire militia,  is  not  a  little  curious.  Demon  was  a  smart  and 
very  active  man,  and  serving  as  corporal  in  the  light  company  of 
the  Leicestershire  when  I  persuadedhim  to  join  our  corps,  where 
he  was  immediately  made  a  serjeant  in  the  3d  battalion,  then 
just  forming;  and  from  which  he  eventually  rose  to  be  a  com- 
missioned officer  in  one  of  our  line  regiments,  but  whose  number 
I  cannot  now  remember.  The  cause  which  led  to  Demon's 
merits  being  first  noticed  was  not  a  little  curious,  being  neither 
more  nor  less  than  a  race. 

It  happened  that  at  Shoreham  Clifi",  (soon  after  he  joined,) 
a  race  was  got  up  among  some  Kentish  men,  who  were  noted  for 
their  swiftness,  and  one  of  them  who  had  beaten  his  companions, 
challenged  any  soldier  in  the  Rifles  to  run  against  him  for  two 
hundred  pounds.  The  sum  was  large,  and  the  runner  was  of  so 
much  celebrity,  that  although  we  had  some  active  young  fellows 
amongst  us,  not  one  seemed  inclined  to  take  the  chance,  either 
officers  or  men,  till  at  length  Demon  stept  forth  and  said  he  would 
run  against  this  Kentish  boaster,  or  any  man  on  the  face  of  the 
earth,  and  fight  him  afterwards  into  the  bargain,  if  any  one 
could  be  found  to  make  up  the  money.  Upon  this  an  officer 
subscribed  the  money,  and  the  race  was  arranged. 

The  aSaiT  made  quite  a  sensation,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 
different  villages  for  miles  around  flocked  to  see  the  sport;  be- 
sides which  the  men  from  different  regiments  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, infantry,  cavalry,  and  artillery  also  were  much  interested, 
and  managed  to  be  present,  which  caused  the  scene  to  be  a  very 
gay  one.  In  short,  the  race  commenced,  and  the  odds  were 
much  against  the  soldier  at  starting,  as  he  was  a  much  less 
man  than  the  other,  and  did  not  at  all  look  like  the  winner. 
He,  however,  kept  well  up  with  his  antagonist,  and  the  affair 
seemed  likely  to  end  in  a  dead  heat,  which  would  undoubtedly 
have  been  the  case,  but  Demon,  when  close  upon  the  winning- 
post,  gave  one  tremendous  spring  forward,  and  won  it  by  his 
body's  length. 


THE   WALCIIEREN   EXPEDITION.  229 


This  race,  in  short,  led  on  to  notice  and  promotion.  General 
Mackenzie  was  in  command  of  the  garrison  at  Hythe.  He  was 
present,  and  was  highly  delighted  at  the  rifleman  beating  the 
bumpkin,  and  saw  that  the  winner  was  the  very  cut  of  a 
soldier,  and  in  short,  that  •Demon  was  a  very  smart  fellow, 
so  that  eventually  the  news  of  the  race  reached  the  first  battalion 
then  fighting  in  Spain.  Sir  Andrew  Barnard  as  far  as  I  can 
recollect  from  hearsay,  at  the  time,  was  in  command  of  the  Eifles 
in  Spain  at  that  moment;  and,  as  I  now  remember  the  story, 
either  he  or  some  other  ofl&ccr  of  high  rank,  upon  being  told  of 
the  circumstance,  remarked  that,  as  Demon  was  such  a  smart 
runner  in  England,  there  was  very  good  ground  for  a  Rifleman 
to  use  his  legs  on  out  there.  He  was  accordingly  ordered  out 
with  the  next  draft  to  that  country,  where  he  so  much  distin- 
guished himself  that  he  obtained  his  commission,  as  I  have  before 
mentioned. 

I  could  give  many  more  anecdotes  connected  with  the  recruit- 
ing at  this  time  for  the  three  battalions  of  rifles,  but  the  above 
will  sufiice ;  and  soon  after  the  incident  I  have  narrated  above, 
(our  companies  being  full  of  young  and  active  men,)  we  started 
off  with  the  expedition,  then  just  formed  for  Walcheren.  I  could 
not  help  feeling,  when  we  paraded,  that  I  stood  enranked  for  this 
first  expedition,  comparatively  amongst  strangers,  since  in  the 
company  I  belonged  to,  not  a  single  man,  except  James  Brooks, 
whom  I  have  before  named,  then  paraded  with  me,  who  had 
been  a  fellow  comrade  in  the  fields  of  Portugal  and  Spain.  I 
felt  also  the  loss  of  my  old  captain,  (Leech,)  whom  I  much  loved 
and  respected,  and  who  left  the  second  battalion  at  that  time  to 
be  promoted  to  the  first.  When  I  heard  of  this  change,  I 
stepped  from  the  ranks  and  oflered  to  exchange  into  the  first, 
but  Lieut.  Hill,  who  was  present  hinted  to  Captain  Hart  (my 
new  commanding  oflicer)  not  to  let  me  go,  as  if  he  did,  he  would 
perhaps  repent  it.  I  will  not  say  here  what  the  lieutenant  then 
said  of  me,  but  he  persuaded  Captain  Hart  to  keep  me,  as  my 
character  had  been  so  good  in  the  former  campaign ;  and  accord- 

20 


230  THE   WALCHEREN   EXPEDITION. 


ingly  I  remained  in  the  second  battalion,  and  started  on  the  Wal- 
cheren  expedition. 

From  Hythe  to  Deal  was  one  day's  march ;  and  I  remember 
looking  along  the  road  at  the  fine  appearance  the  different  regi- 
ments made  as  we  marched  along..  It  was  as  fine  an  expedition 
as  ever  I  looked  at,  and  the  army  seemed  to  stretch,  as  I  regarded 
them,  the  whole  distance  before  us  to  Dover. 

At  Deal,  the  Rifles  embarked  in  the  Superb,  a  74,  and  a  terri- 
ble outcry  there  was  among  the  women  upon  the  beach  on  the 
embarkation ;  for  the  ill  consequences  of  having  too  many 
women  amongst  us  had  been  so  apparent  in  our  former  cam- 
paign and  retreat,  that  the  allowance  of  wives  was  considerably 
curtailed  on  this' occasion,  and  the  distraction  of  the  poor  crea- 
tures parting  with  their  husbands  was  quite  heart-rending  :  some 
of  them  clinging  to  the  men  so  resolutely,  that  the  officers  were 
obliged  to  give  orders  to  have  them  separated  by  force.  In  fact, 
even  after  we  were  in  the  boats  and  fairly  pushed  off,  the  scream- 
ing and  howling  of  their  farewells  rang  in  our  ears  far  out 
at  sea. 

The  weather  being  fair,  and  the  fleet  having  a  grand  and  im- 
posing appearance,  many  spectators  (even  from  London)  came  to 
look  at  us  as  we  lay  in  the  Downs,  and  we  set  sail,  (I  think  on 
the  third  day  from  our  embarkation)  in  three  divisions. 

A  fair  wind  soon  carried  us  off  Flushing,  where  one  part  of 
the  expedition  disembarked;  the  other  made  for  South  Beveland, 
among  which  latter  I  myself  was.  The  five  companies  of  Rifles 
immediately  occupied  a  very  pretty  village,  with  rows  of  trees  on 
either  side  of  its  principal  street,  where  we  had  plenty  of 
leisuje  to  listen  to  the  sound  of  the  cannonading  going  on 
amongst  the  companies  we  had  left  at  Flushing. 

The  appearance  of  the  country  (such  as  it  was)  was  extremely 
pleasant,  and  for  a  few  days  the  men  enjoyed  themselves  much. 
But  at  the  expiration  of  (I  think)  less  time  than  a  week,  au 
awful  visitation  suddenly  came  upon  us.  The  first  I  observed 
of  it  was  one  day  as  I  sat  in  my  billet,  when  I  beheld  whole  par- 
ties of  our  riflemen  in  the  street  shaking  with  a  sort  of  ague,  to 


THE   WALCHEREN   EXPEDITION.  231 


such  a  degree  that  they  could  hardly  walk ;  strong  and  fine 
young  men,  who  had  been  hut  a  short  time  in  the  service, 
seemed  suddenly  reduced  in  strength  to  infants,  unable  to  stand 
upright — so  great  a  shaking  had  seized  upon  their  whole  bodies 
from  head  to  heel.  The  company  I  belonged  to  was  quartered  in 
a  barn,  and  I  quickly  perceived  that  hardly  a  man  there  had 
stomach  for  the  bread  that  was  served  out  to  them,  or  even  to 
taste  their  grog,  although  each  man  had  an  allowance  of  half-a- 
pint  of  gin  per  day.  In  fact,  I  should  say,  about  three  weeks 
from  the  day  we  landed,  I  and  two  other  men  were  the  only  in- 
dividuals who  could  stand  upon  our  legs.  They  lay  groaning  in 
rows  in  the  barn,  amongst  the  heaps  of  lumpy  black  bread  they 
were  unable  to  eat. 

This  awful  spectacle  considerably  alarmed  the  ofl&cers,  who 
were  also  many  of  them  attacked.  The  naval  doctors  came  on 
shore  to  assist  the  regimental  surgeons,  who,  indeed,  had  more 
upon  their  hands  than  they  could  manage ;  Dr.  Ridgeway,  of  the 
Rifles,  and  his  assistant,  having  nearly  five  hundred  patients  pros- 
trate at  the  same  moment.  In  short,  except  myself  and  three  or 
four  others,  the  whole  concern  was  completely  floored. 

Under  these  circumstances,  and  which  considerably  con- 
founded the  doctors,  orders  were  issued  (since  all  hopes  of 
getting  the  men  upon  their  legs  seemed  gone)  to  embark  them 
as  fast  as  possible,  which  was  accordingly  done  with  some  little 
difficulty.  The  poor  fellows  made  every  efi"ort  to  get  on  board. 
Those  who  were  a  trifle  better  than  others  crawled  to  the  boats ; 
many  supported  each  other;  and  many  were  carried  helpless  as 
infants. 

At  Flushing  matters  were  not  much  better,  except  that  there 
the  soldiers  had  a  smart  skirmish  with  their  enemies  before  the 
fever  and  ague  attacked  them.  On  shipboard  the  aspect  of  afiairs 
did  not  mend ;  the  men  beginning  to  die  so  fast  that  they  com- 
mitted ten  or  twelve  to  the  deep  iu  one  day. 

It  was  rather  extraordinary  that  myself,  and  Brooks,  and  a 
man  named  Bowley,  who  had  all  three  been  at  Corunna,  were  at 
this  moment  unattackcd  by  the  disease,  and  notwithstanding  the 


232  THE   WALCKEBEN   EXPEDITION. 


awful  appearance  of  the  pest-ship  we  were  in,  I  myself  had 
little  fear  of  the  disease.  I  thought  myself  so  hardened  that  it 
could  not  touch  me.  It  happened,  however,  that  I  stood  senti- 
nel (men  being  scarce)  over  the  hatchway,  and  Brooks,  who  was 
always  a  jolly  and  jeering  companion  (even  in  the  very  jaws  of 
death)  came  past  me,  and  offered  me  a  lump  of  pudding,  it  being 
pudding  day  on  board.  At  that  moment  I  felt  struck  with  a 
deadly  faintnoss,  shook  all  over  like  an  aspen,  and  my  teeth 
chattered  in  my  head,  so  that  I  could  hardly  hold  my  rifle. 

Brooks  looked  at  me  a  moment,  with  the  pudding  in  his  hand, 
which  he  saw  I  could  not  take,  "  Hallo,"  he  said,  "why 
Harris,  old  boy,  yoxi  are  not  going  to  begin,  are  you  ?" 

I  felt  unable  to  answer  him,  but  only  muttered  out  as  I  trem- 
bled, "  For  God's  sake  get  me  i-elieved.  Brooks  !" 

"  Damme,"  said  Brooks,  "  it's  all  up  with  Harris  !  You  're 
catched  hold  of  at  last,  old  chap." 

In  fact  I  was  soon  sprawling  upon  the  forecastle,  amongst 
many  others,  in  a  miserable  state,  our  heads  upon  our  knapsacks, 
and  our  great  coats  over  us.  In  this  state  the  doctors,  during 
our  short  voyage,  were  fully  employed  ;  pails  of  bark  were  carried 
amongst  us  and  given  to  the  men  in  horn  tumblers,  and  thus  we 
arrived  at  Dover. 

As  I  lay  on  the  deck,  I  looked  up  at  that  splendid  castle  in 
the  distance.  It  was  identified  with  old  England,  and  many  a 
languid  eye  was  cheered  by  its  sight.  Men  naturally  love  to  die 
upon  their  native  land,  and  I  felt  I  could  now  do  so  contentedly  ! 
Nay,  I  have  that  frowning  English  fortress  in  my  eye,  at  this 
moment,  as  I  then  beheld  it.  The  Warwickshire  militia  were  at 
that  time  quartered  at  Dover.  They  came  to  assist  in  disem- 
barking us,  and  were  obliged  to  lift  many  of  us  out  of  the  boats 
like  sacks  of  flour.  •  If  any  of  those  militiamen  remain  alive 
they  will  not  easily  forget  that  piece  of  duty ;  for  I  never  beheld 
men  more  moved  than  they  were  at  our  helpless  state.  Many 
died  at  Dover  and  numbers  in  Deal ;  whilst  those  who  had  some- 
what rallied  on  getting  from  the  land  of  pestilence,  were  paraded 
in  order  to  /ret  them  on  to  their  old  quarters  at  Ilytho. 


THE   WALCIIEREN    EXPEDITION".  233 


I  remember  that  the  43d  and  52d  regiments  (all  that  were  able) 
marched  with  us  this  day  to  Hjthc ;  but  I  am  afraid  we  did  not 
(any  of  us)  cut  much  of  a  figure  on  the  road.  In  fact,  such  was 
the  shaking  fever  we  felt  that  we  were  left  pretty  much  to  our 
own  discretion  to  get  to  our  journey's  end  in  the  best  manner 
we  could.  Many,  indeed,  would  never  have  got  into  barracks 
without  assistance.  In  short,  when  I  sat  down  exhausted 
by  the  road-side  several  times  during  the  march,  and  looked  at 
the  men,  I  thought  it  bore  in  some  degree  a  similitude  to  the 
Corunua  retreat ;  so  awfully  had  disease  floored  the  strength  of 
the  whole  turn-out. 

The  hospital  at  Ilythe  being  filled  with  the  sick,  the  barracks 
became  a  hospital,  and  as  deaths  ensued,  and  thinned  the  wards, 
the  men  were  continually  removed,  making  progress  from  barrack 
to  hospital,  and  from  hospital  to  the  grave.  The  ward  of  the 
hospital,  in  which  I  myself  was,  accommodated  eleven  men,'  and 
I  saw,  from  my  bed  in  the  corner  where  I  lay,  this  ward  refilled 
ten  times,  t!ic  former  patients  being  all  carried  out  to  the  grave.  I 
had  been  gradually  removed  as  the  men  died,  until  I  was  shoved 
up  into  a  corner  of  the  ward,  wlicrc  I  lay  and  had  plenty  of  lei- 
sure to  observe  my  comrades  in  misfortune,  and  witness  their 
end.  Some  I  beheld  die  quietly,  and  others  were  seized  in  vari- 
ous ways.  JMany  got  out  of  bed  in  a  shivering  delirium,  and 
died  upon  the  floor  in  the  night-time. 

Having  been  a  shoemaker  in  the  Piifles,  I  had  saved  during 
my  service  near  two  hundred  pounds,  which  I  had  in  the  bank  at 
Ilythe  at  this  time,  so  that  I  was  enabled  to  procure  extra  wine 
and  other  nourishing  tiling."^,  and  often  gave  my  companions  in 
misfortune  a  treat  also;  and  this  I  think  enabled  my  iron  con- 
stitution to  keep  death  so  long  at  bay. 

I  saw  one  or  two  of  my  old  peninsular  comrades,  and  whom  I 
had  often  seen  fighting  bravely  in  the  field,  die  in  this  hospital 
in  a  miserable  condition,  their  bodies  being  swollen  up  like 
barrels. 

Every  thing  was  done  for  us  that  skill  could  devise,  and  nothing 
could  exceed  the  kindness  of  Doctor  Ridgcway  toward  us.     Hot 

20* 


234  THE   WALCHEREN   EXPEDITION. 


baths  were  brought  into  the  hospital,  and  many  a  man  died 
■whilst  in  the  bath,  and  was  taken  out  dead, 

I  remember  hearing,  as  I  lay  sick,  that  the  firing  over  tho 
graves  of  our  comrades  was  dispensed  with,  the  men  died  so  fast ; 
and  when  I  got  out,  and  went  to  the  churchyard  to  look  upon 
the  graves  of  my  comrades,  I  saw  them  lying  in  two  lines  there. 
As  they  in  life  had  been  enranked,  so  they  lay  also  ranked 
in  death. 

The  medical  men  made  every  effort  to  try  and  trace  the  im- 
mediate cause  of  this  mortality  amongst  us,  and  almost  all  the 
men  were  examined  after  death;  but  it  was  of  no  avail,  as 
nothing  could  arrest  the  progress  of  the  malady  after  it  had 
reached  a  certain  height.  The  doctor,  I  heard,  generally  attri- 
buted the  deaths  in  most  cases,  to  enlargement  of  the  spleen, 
as  almost  all  were  swollen  and  diseased  in  that  part.  I  myself 
was  dreadfully  enlarged  in  the  side,  and  for  many  years  after- 
wards carried  "an  extra  paunch." 

As  soon  as  the  prospect  began  to  brighten,  and  the  men  to  re- 
cover a  little,  we  managed  to  muster  outside  the  hospital,  some 
three  hundred  of  us  parading  there  morning  and  evening,  for 
the  benefit  of  fresh  air;  and  medicine  was  served  out  to  us 
as  we  stood  enranked,  the  hospital   orderlies  passing  along  the  \ 

ranks,  and  giving  each  man  his  dose  from  large  jugs  which  they  j 

carried.  | 

As  we  got  better  an  order  arrived   to  furnish  two  companies  h 

of  the  second  battalion,  and  two  companies  of  the  third  battalion,  J 

ofllitlcs,  for  Spain,  as  they  were  much  wanted  there.  Accordingly  i 

an  inspection  took  place,  and  two  hundred  men  were  picked  out,  j 

all  of  whom  were  most  anxious  to  go.     I  myself  was  rejected  at 
tlmt  time,    as  unfit,   which   I  much   regretted.      However,   on  ■ 

li'.aliing  application,  after  a  few  days,  I  was  accepted,  principally  < 

on   the  recommendation  of  Lieut.  Cochrane,  who  much  wished  1 

for  me;  and  I  accordingly  once  more  started  for  foreign  service.  j 

From  nythe  to  Portsmouth,  where   we  were  to  embark,  was  i 

eight  days'  march ;  but  the  very  first  day  found  out  some  of  tho  | 

VValchercn  lads.     I  myself  was  assisted  that  night  to  my  billet, 


THE   WALCIIEREN    EXPEDITION.  235 


the  ague  having  again  seized  me,  and  on  the  third  day  wagons 
were  obliged  to  be  hired  to  get  us  along  the  road.  As  we  pro- 
ceeded some  of  those  men  who  had  relapsed  died  on  the  road, 
and  were  buried  in  diiferent  places  we  passed  through.  At  Chi- 
chester, I  recollect,  a  man  was  taken  out  of  the  wagon  in  which 
I  myself  lay,  who  had  died  beside  me ;  and  at  that  place  he  was 
buried.  At  Portsmouth  I  remained  one  night,  billeted  with  my 
fellow  travellers  at  the  Dolphin.  Here  I  was  visited  by  an 
uncle  who  resided  in  the  town ;  and  who  was  much  shocked  at 
seeing  me  so  much  reduced,  concluding  it  was  impossible  I  could 
survive  many  days.  Such  was  the  shocking  state  we  were  again 
reduced  to.  The  next  morning  spring-wagons  were  procured 
for  us,  and  we  were  scut  back  to  Hilsea  barracks  for  the  benefit 
of  medical  advice  :  and  I  took  a  farewell  of  my  uncle,  expecting 
never  to  see  him  again.  Such,  however,  was  not  to  be  the  case, 
as,  out  of  the  thirtj'-nine  riiienien  who  went  into  Hilsea  Hospital, 
I  alone  survived. 

It  may  seem  to  my  readers  extraordinary  that  I  should  twice 
be  the  survivor  of  so  many  of  my  comrades.  I  can  only,  there- 
fore, refer  them  to  the  medical  men  who  abtended  us,  if  they  yet 
live,  and  whose  names  were.  Dr.  Eidgeway  of  the  Rifles,  and  Dr. 
Frazer,  who  at  that  time  was  the  surgeon  at  Hilsea. 

Whilst  we  lay  sick  at  Hilsea  Hospital  I  must  not  forget 
to  mention  an  act  of  great  kindness  and  humanity  which  was 
performed  towards  the  soldiery.  Lady  Grey,  who,  I  believe,  was 
the  wife  of  the  Commissioner  of  Portsmouth  Dockyard  at  this 
time,  was  so  much  struck  with  the  state  of  the  sufferers,  that  she 
sent  one  morning  two  carts  loaded  with  warm  clothing  for  them ; 
giving  to  each  man,  of  whatsoever  regiment,  who  had  been  at 
Walcheren,  two  pairs  of  flannel  drawers  and  two  flannel  waist- 
coats. This  circumstance  was  greatly  appreciated  by  the  men ; 
and  many,  like  myself,  have  never  forgotten  it. 

After  this,  being  Ihe  only  rifleman  left  at  Hilsea,  Lieut.  Bar- 
dell  made  application  to  the  general  for  leave  for  me  to  go  into 
Dorsetshire  to  see  my  friends,  which  was  granted;  but  the  doc- 
tor shook  his  head,   doubting  I  should  ever  be  able  to  under- 


236  THE   WALCHEREN   EXPEDITION. 


take  the  journey.  In  about  a  week,  however,  I  considered  my- 
self tit  to  undertake  the  journey;  and,  accordingly,  a  non- 
commissioned officer  of  one  of  the  line  regiments  put  me  into  a 
Salisbury  coach.  A  lady  and  gentleman  were  my  fellow-passen- 
gers inside,  and  we  started  about  four  o'clock.  They  seemed  not 
much  to  relish  the  look  of  a  sick  soldier  in  such  close  quarters ; 
and,  accordingly,  we  had  hardly  cleared  the  town  of  Gosport 
before  I  gave  them  a  dreadful  fright.  In  short,  I  was  attacked 
all  at  once  with  one  of  the  periodical  ague-fits,  and  shook  to  so 
desperate  a  degree  that  they  were  both  horror-struck,  and  almost 
inclined  to  keep  me  company.  The  lady  thought  that  both  her- 
self and  husband  were  cold,  and  would  certainly  catch  the  com- 
plaint ;  expressing  herself  as  most  unhappy  in  having  begun 
their  journey  on  that  day.  These  fits  generally  lasted  an  hour 
and  a  quarter,  and  then  came  on  a  burning  fever,  during  which  I 
called  for  water  at  every  place  where  the  coach  stopped.  In 
fact,  coachman,  guard,  and  passengers,  outside  and  in,  by  no 
means  liked  it,  and  expected  every  minute  that  I  should  die  in 
the  coach. 

"  Here's  a  nice  go,"  said  the  coachman,  as  he  stopped  at  a 
place  called  Whit-church,  "  catch  me  ever  taking  up  a  sick  sol- 
dier again  if  I  can  help  it.  This  here  poor  devil's  going  to 
make  a  die  of  it  in  my  coach." 

It  seemed,  indeed,  as  if  I  had  personally  offended  the  burly 
coachman,  for  he  made  an  oration  at  every  place  he  stopped  at, 
and  sent  all  the  helpers  and  idlers  to  look  at  me,  as  I  sat  in  his 
coach,  till  I  was  obliged  to  beg  of  him  not  to  do  so. 

I  had  two  attacks  of  this  sort  during  the  night,  and  was  so  bad 
that  I  myself  thought,  with  the  coachman,  that  I  should  never  get 
out  of  the  vehicle  alive  ;  and  never,  I  should  think,  had  passengers 
60  unpleasant  a  journey  as  the  lady  and  gentleman  I  travelled 
with. 

At  length,  early  in  the  morning,  the  coach  stopped  at  a  village 
one  mile  from  my  father's  residence,  which  was  on  the  estate  ot 
the  present  Marquis  of  Anglesey.     I  had  left  my  father's  cot 


TUE    WALCIIEREN   EXPEDITION.  237 


tage  quite  a  boy,  and  although  I  knew  the  laudlord  of  the 
little  inn  where  the  coach  stopped,  and  several  other  persons 
I  saw  there,  none  knew  me ;  so  I  made  myself  known  as  well  as 
I  could,  for  1  was  terribly  exhausted,  and  the  landlord  imme- 
diately got  four  men  to  carry  me  home. 

My  father  was  much  moved  at  beholding  me  return  in  so  mise- 
rable a  plight,  as  was  also  my  step-mother  and  my  brother.  I 
remained  with  them  eight  months,  six  of  which  I  lay  in  a  hope- 
less state  in  bed,  certificates  being  sent  every  month  to  Hythe, 
stating  my  inability  to  move  ;  and  during  which  time  Captain 
Hart  sent  four  letters  to  the  commanding  officer,  desiring  I 
might  be  drafted  out,  if  possible,  to  Spain,  as,  being  a  handi- 
craft, I  was  much  wanted  there. 

The  medical  men  round  the  neiglabourhood  hearing  of  my 
state,  many  of  them  came  to  see  me,  in  order  to  observe  the 
nature  of  a  complaint  that  had  proved  so  deadly  to  our  soldiers. 

At  the  end  of  the  eighth  month,  (being  once  more  somewhat 
recovered,  and  able  to  crawl  about,  with  the  aid  of  a  stick,  a 
few  yards  from  our  cottage  door,)  as  my  mother-in-law  had  once 
or  twice  expressed  herself  burthened  by  this  long  illness,  I  re- 
solved to  attempt  to  return  to  my  regiment.  I  was  therefore 
transported  in  a  cart  to  the  King's  Arms  Inn,  at  Dorchester,  my 
body  being  swollen  up  hard  as  a  barrel,  and  my  limbs  covered 
with  ulcers.  Here  the  surgeons  of  the  9th  and  11th  dragoons 
made  an  examination  of  me,  and  ordered  me  into  Dorchester 
hospital,  where  I  remained  seven  weeks;  and  here  my  case  com- 
pletely puzzled  the  doctors. 

At  length  Dr.  Burroughs,  on  making  his  rounds,  caught  sight 
of  me  as  I  sat  on  my  bed,  dressed  in  my  green  uniform. 

"  Hallo  !  rifleman,"  he  said,  "how  came  you  here  ?" 

Being  told,  he  looked  very  sharply  at  me,  and  seemed  to 
consider. 

"  Walcheren,"  he  inquired,  "  eh  V 

"  Yes,  sir,"  I  said,  "  and  it  has  not  done  with  me  yet." 

"  Strip,  my  man,"  he  said,  "  and  lay  on  your  back.  What 
have  you  done  for  him  1"  he  asked  sharply  of  the  doctor. 


238  THE    WALCHEREN   EXPEDITIOJJ". 


The  doctor  told  him. 

"  Then  try  him  with  mercury,  sir/'  he  said,  "  hotJi  externally 
and  internalli/ ." 

After  saying  which  in  a  rapid  manner,  he  turned  as  quickly 
and  proceeded  in  his  rounds  among  the  rest  of  the  patients. 

I  was  now  salivated  most  desperately,  after  which  I  got  a  little 
better,  and  resolved  at  all  hazards,  to  try  and  rejoin  my  regi- 
ment, for  I  was  utterly  tired  of  the  hospital  life  I  had  altogether 
so  long  led.  '-For  God's  sake,"  I  said,  "let  me  go  and  die 
with  my  own  regiment !" 

With  some  little  difficulty  I  got  leave  to  go,  and  once  again 
started  at  my  own  expense,  for  Hythe,  in  Kent,  by  the  coach. 
Before  doing  so,  however,  to  my  surprise,  the  medical  man,  who 
had  attended  me  under  my  father's  roof,  brought  me  in  his  bill, 
which  was  a  pretty  good  one,  amounting  to  sixty  pounds.  I 
thought  this  was  pretty  well  for  a  poor  soldier  to  be  chai-ged. 
Having  still,  however,  enough  left  of  my  savings,  I  paid  it ;  but  I 
kept  that  bill,  and  afterwai'ds  showed  it  to  Dr.  Scott  of  the  Kifles, 
who  remarked  upon  it  in  these  words  :  "  It  could  not  have  been 
higher,  Harris,  if  you   had  been  a  man  possessing  a  thousand  a 


year." 


When  I  made  my  appearance  in  the  barrack-square  at  Hythe, 
I  was  like  one  risen  from  the  dead ;  for  I  had  been  so  long  miss- 
ing from  amongst  the  few  I  knew  there,  that  I  was  almost  for- 
gotten. A  hardy  Scot,  named  McPherson,  was  one  of  the  first 
who  recognized  me. 

"  Eh,"  he  said,  "  but  here's  Harris  come  back.  Why  I 
thought,  man,  ye  was  gane  amongst  the  lave  o'  them,  but  the 
divil  will  na  kill  ye,  I  think  !" 

The  day  after  my  arrival  I  was  once  more  in  hospital,  and 
here  I  remained  under  Dr.  Scott  for  twenty-eight  weeks ;  such 
was  the  Walcheren  fever,  and  which  to  this  day  I  sometimes 
feel  the  remains  of  in  damp  weather.  From  Hythe  I  was  sent 
amongst  some  other  invalids,  to  Chelsea.  Sixty  of  us  marched 
together  on  this  occasion,  without  arms.  Many  had  lost  their 
limbs,  which,  from  wounds,  as  well  as  disease,  had  been  anipu 


THE    T'rALCnEREN   EXPEDITION.  239 


tated ;  and  altogether  wc  did  not  make  a  very  formidable  ap- 
pearance, being  frequently  obliged  to  be  halted  in  the  road  to 
repair  our  strength,  vrhcn  the  whole  turn-out  would  be  seen 
sitting  or  sprawling  at  full  length  by  the  roadside. 

The  march  took  us  ten  days  to  accomplish,  and  when  we  halted 
at  Piralico,  we  were  pretty  well  done  up.  "We  were  billeted  in 
the  different  public  houses  in  Chelsea.  Amongst  others,  T  lodged 
at  the  Three  Crowns,  close  beside  the  Bun  House. 

I  remember  we  paraded  in  the  Five  Fields,  then  an  open  space, 
but  now  covered  with  elegant  mansions,  and  become  a  part  of 
London.  Three  thousand  invalids  mustered  here  every  morning 
— a  motley  group,  presenting  a  good  picture  of  the  toils  of  war. 
There  was  the  lame,  the  halt,  and  the  blind,  the  sick,  and  the 
sorry,  all  in  a  lump.  With  those  who  had  lost  their  limbs, 
there  was  not  much  trouble,  as  they  became  pensioners ;  but 
6thers  were,  some  of  them,  closely  examined  from  day  to  day  as 
to  their  eligibility  for  service.  Amongst  others  I  was  examined 
by  Dr.  Lephan. 

"  What  age  are  you,  rifleman  ?"  he  said. 

"  Thirty-two,  sir,"  I  replied. 

''  What  trade  have  you  been  of?"  he  inquired. 

'A  shoemaker,"  I  replied. 

"  Where  have  you  been  ?"  he  said. 

"  In  Denmark,  Spain,  Portugal,  and  Walcheren,"  I  said  ; 
"  in  which  latter  place  I  met  the  worst  enemy  of  all." 

''Never  mind  that,"  he  said,  "you'll  do  yet;  and  we  will 
have  you  to  a  veteran  battalion." 

Accordingly  I  was  appointed  to  the  8th  veteran  battalion,  with 
others,  and  sent  to  Fort  Cumberland.  Here  I  was  appointed  to 
Captain  Creswell's  company,  who  had  lost  one  eye,  whilst  in  the 
36th  regiment  in  Spain. 

I  was  again  the  only  green  jacket  of  the  lot,  and  the  oflicers 
assembled  round  me  during  the  first  muster,  and  asked  me  nu- 
merous questions  about  my  service  amongst  the  Kifles,  for  we 
had  a  great  reputation  amongst  the  army  at  this  time.  Major 
Caldwell  commanded  the  battalion  3  he  had  been  in  the  fifth, 


240  THE   WALCHEREN    EXPEDITION. 


(the  fighting  5th,)  and  had  received  a  grievous  wound  la  ^h^i 
head.  He  was  a  kind  and  soldier-like  man,  but  if  you  put  him 
out  of  temper,  you  would  soon  find  out  that  he  felt  his  wound. 
Capt.  Picard  was  there,  too,  and  Captain  Flaherty,  and  Lieut. 
Moorhead  ;  all  of  them  were  more  or  less  shattered,  whilst  their 
men,  although  most  of  them  were  young,  were  very  good  speci- 
mens of  war's  alarms.  One,  perhaps,  had  a  tale  to  tell  of  Sala- 
manca, where  he  lost  an  eye;  another  spoke  of  Badajoz,  where 
he  got  six  balls  (in  the  breach)  at  once  in  his  body.  Many 
paraded  with  sticks  in  their  hands,  and  altogether  it  was  somc- 
thinc  of  a  different  sort  of  force  to  the  active  chaps  I  had  been 
in  the  habit  of  serving  amongst.  In  fact,  I  much  regretted  my 
green  jacket,  and  grieved  at  being  obliged  to  part  with  it  for 
the  red  coat  of  the  Veterans. 

I  remained  in  the  Veterans  only  four  months,  as  at  the  expi- 
ration of  that  time  Napoleon  was  sent  to  Elba.  We  were  then  ' 
marched  to  Chelsea,  to  be  disbanded,  where  we  met  thousands  of 
soldiers  lining  the  streets,  and  lounging  about  before  the  diff"er- 
ent  public  houses,  with  every  description  of  wound  and  casualty 
incident  to  modern  warfare.  There  hobbled  the  dilapidated  light 
infantry  man,  the  heavy  dragoon,  the  fusileer,  and  specimens  from 
every  regiment  in  the  service.  The  Irishman,  shouting  and  brand- 
ishing his  crutch  3  the  English  soldier,  reeling  with  drink  ;  and  the 
Scot,  with  grave  and  melancholy  visage,  sitting  on  the  steps  of 
the  public  house  amongst  the  crowd,  listening  to  the  skirl  of  his 
comrades'  pipes,  and  thinking  of  the  blue  hills  of  his  native 
land.     Such  was  Chelsea  and  Pimlico  in  1814. 

In  about  a  week's  time  I  was  discharged,  and  received  a  pen- 
sion of  sixpence  per  day ;  and  for  the  first  time  since  I  had  been 
a  shepherd  lad  on  Blandford  Downs,  I  saw  myself  in  plain 
clothes,  and  with  my  liberty  to  go  and  come  where  I  liked.  Be- 
fore, however,  my  pension  became  due,  I  was  again  called  upon 
to  attend,  together  with  others,  in  consequence  of  the  escape 
of  Bonaparte  from  Elba ;  but  I  was  then  in  so  miserable  a 
plight  with  the  remains  of  the  fever  and  ague,  which  still  at- 
tacked me  every  other  day,  that  I  did  not  answer  the  call  by 


THE   WALCIIEREN   EXPEDITION.  241 


which  I  lost  my  pension.  And  here  I  may  perhaps  as  well  mention 
a  slight  anecdote  of  the  great  duke,  as  I  heard  it  related,  more 
especially  as,  slight  as  it  is,  it  shows  the  rapidity  with  which, 
even  in  small  matters,  that  great  man  always  came  to  a  right 
conclusion. 

The  duke,  I  was  told,  observed  in  Spain  that  several  men  who 
had  come  out  from  England  after  Walcheren  were  unable  to 
keep  up  on  the  march,  and  afterwards  completely  failed.  He 
inquired  the  reason  of  this,  and  was  told  they  were  men  who 
had  been  on  the  Walcheren  expedition. 

"Then,  never,"  said  the  duke,  "let  another  man  be  sent  here 
who  has  been  at  Walcheren." 

At  Fort  Cumberland  I  remember  another  curious  circum- 
stance, which  may  perhaps,  in  these  times,  be  thought  worthy 
of  narration. 

Many  of  the  French  prisoners  had  volunteered  into  the  En- 
glish service,  and  were  formed  into  four  companies,  called  the 
Independent  Companies.  These  men  were  smart-looking  fellows, 
and  wore  a  green  uniform,  something  like  the  Rifies.  Whilst  I 
was  with  the  Veterans  one  of  these  men  deserted,  and  was  re- 
taken at  Portsmouth,  and  tried  by  court-martial  at  Fort  Cum- 
berland. Besides  his  crime  of  desertion  he  had  acOTavated  it 
by  gross  insubordination,  and  he  was  accordingly  sentenced  to 
be  flogged.  We  all,  French  and  English,  paraded  to  see  the 
sentence  carried  into  effect,  and  in  case  of  any  thing  happening, 
and  our  opposite  neighbours,  the  green-jackets,  showing  fiiiht, 
the  Veterans  were  all  ordered  to  load  with  ball. 

When  the  culprit  heard  the  sentence  read  out  to  him,  he  was 
a  good  deal  annoyed,  and  begged  that  he  might  be  shot,  as  would 
have  happened  to  him  in  his  own  country.  Such,  however,  it 
was  explained  to  him,  could  not  be  allowed,  and  he  was  accord- 
ingly punished.  The  Duke  of  York,  who  was  then  commander- 
in-chief,  had  thought  it  necessary  to  make  this  example,  although 
all  of  us  would  have  been  glad  to  have  seen  him  forgiven. 

Shortly  after  this,  on  Napoleon's  being  sent  to  Elba,  these 
men  were  all  liberated,  and  sent  home  to  their  own  country,  with 

2.1 


242 


THE   WALCIIEREN   EXPEDITION" 


four  pounds  given  to  each  man ;  and  gloriously  drunk  they  all 
were  at  Portsmouth  the  night  they  embarked. 

The  Veterans  were  very  intimate  and  friendly  with  these 
Frenchmen,  as  they  were  quartered  together ;  and  we  were  all 
sorry  to  hear  (whether  true  or  false  I  cannot  say)  that  every 
man  of  them,  on  their  uniforms  betraying  their  having  served 
us,  were  massacred  by  their  fellow-countrymen. 


DUFAVEL'S  ADVENTURE  IN  THE  WELL. 

One  morning,  early  in  September  183G,  as  Dufavcl,  one  of 
the  laborers  employed  in  sinking  a  well  at  a  place  near  Lyons, 
in  France,  was  about  to  descend,  in  order  to  begin  his  work,  one 
of  his  companions  called  out  to  him  not  to  go  down,  as  the  ground 
was  giving  way,  and  threatened  to  fall  in.  Dufavel,  however, 
did  not  profit  by  the  warning,  but,  exclaiming,  "  I  shall  have 
plenty  of  time  to  go  down  for  my  basket  first,"  he  entered  the 
well,  which  was  sixty-two  feet  in  depth.  AVhen  about  half  way 
down,  he  heard  some  large  stones  falling;  but  he  nevertheless 
continued  his  descent,  and  reached  the  bottom  in  safety.  After 
placing  two  pieces  of  plank  in  his  basket,  he  was  preparing  to 
reascend,  when  he  suddenly  heard  a  crashing  sound  above  his 
head,  and,  looking  up,  he  saw  five  of  the  side  supports  of  the 
well  breaking  at  once.  Greatly  alarmed,  he  shouted  for  assist- 
ance as  loudly  as  he  was  able  ;  but  the  next  moment  a  large  mass 
of  the  sandy  soil  fell  upon  him,  precluding  the  possibility  of  his 
escape.  By  a  singular  good  fortune,  the  broken  supports  fell  to- 
gether in  such  a  manner,  that  tliey  formed  a  species  of  arch 
over  his  head,  and  prevented  the  sand  from  pouring  down,  which 
must  have  smothered  him  at  once.  To  all  appearance,  however, 
he  was  separated  from  the  rest  of  the  world,  and  doomed  to 
perish  by  suffocatiion  or  famine.  He  had  a  wife  and  child,  who 
now  came  into  his  mind,  and  the  thought  of  them  now  made  him 
feel  still  more  bitterly  his  imprudent  obstinacy  in  descending 
into  the  well,  after  being  warned  of  the  danger  to  which  he  was 
exposing  himself. 

But  although  Dufavel  regretted  the  past  and  feared  for  the 
future,  he  did  not  give  way  to  despair.  Calm  and  self-possessed, 
he  raised  his  heart  in  prayer  to  God,  and  adopted  eveiy  precau- 

(243) 


244   dufavel's  adventure  in  the  well. 


tion  in  his  power  to  prolong  his  life.  His  basket  was  fastened  to  the 
cord  bj  which  he  had  descended;  and  when  his  comrades  above 
began  to  pull  the  rope,  in  the  hope  of  drawing  him  up  to  the 
surface,  he  observed  that,  in  their  vain  efforts,  they  were  causing  his 
basket  to  strike  against  the  broken  planks  above  him  in  such  a 
manner,  as  to  bring  dowh  stones  and  other  things.  He  therefore 
^ut  the  rope  with  his  knife,  which  he  had  no  sooner  done,  than  it 
was  drawn  up  by  those  at  the  top  of  the  well ;  and,  when  his 
friends  saw  the  rope  so  cut,  they  knew  that  he  must  be  alive, 
and  determined  to  make  every  exertion  to  save  him. 

The  hole  made  by  the  passage  of  this  rope  through  the  sand 
that  had  fallen  in,  was  of  the  greatest  use  to  Dufavel ;  through 
it  he  received  a  supply  of  fresh  air,  and,  after  a  .while,  his 
friends  contrived  to  convey  food  to  him,  and  even  to  speak  to 
him.  Of  course  he  was  in  utter  darkness ;  but  he  was  enabled 
in  a  curious  manner,  to  keep  a  reckoning  of  time.  A  large  fly 
was  shut  up  with  him,  and  kept  him  company  all  the  time  that 
he  remained  there.  When  he  heard  it  buzzing  about,  he  knew 
that  it  was  day,  and  when  the  fly  was  silent,  he  knew  that  it 
was  night.  The  fly  boarded  as  well  as  lodged  with  him;  he  was 
as  careful  as  he  could  not  to  interrupt  it  while  taking  its  share  of 
his  meal ;  when  he  touched  it,  it  v/ould  fly  away,  buzzing  as  if 
offended,  but  soon  return  again.  He  often  said  afterwards,  that 
the  company  of  this  fly  had  been  a  great  consolation  to  him. 

More  skilful  persons  than  the  poor  laborers  of  the  village  of 
Champvcrt  were  soon  engaged  in  the  attempt  to  liberate  Dufavcl. 
The  municipal  authorities  of  Lyons  procured  the  assistance  of  a 
band  of  military  miners,  who,  under  the  direction  of  experienced 
officers  begun  to  form  a  subterranean  passage  for  the  purpose  of 
relieving  him.  Prayers  for  his  safety  were  daily  offered  up  in 
the  churches  of  Lyons,  and  the  most  intense  interest  prevailed; 
it  was  found  necessary  to  erect  a  barricade,  and  station  a  guard 
of  soldiers  round  the  scene  of  the  accident,  to  keep  off  the  flock- 
ino-  crowd  from  the  neighbourhood,  all  eager  to  obtain  news,  and 
8cc  what  was  being  done, 

The  cavity  at  the  bottom  of  the  well,  over  which  the  wooden 


dufavel's  adventure  in  the  well.   245 


rafters  had  so  providentially  formed  a  sort  of  a  roof,  was  at  first 
about  seven  feet  in  height ;  but  owing  to  the  sand  constantly 
running  through,  and  pressing  down  the  roof  from  above,  by  the 
third  day  the  space  became  so  small,  that  the  poor  man  could  no 
longer  stand,  or  even  sit  upright,  but  was  crushed  upon  the 
ground  in  a  peculiarly  painful  manner,*  his  legs  doubled  under 
him,  and  his  head  pressed  on  one  side  against  his  left  shoulder. 

His  arms,  however,  were  free,  and  he  used  his  knife  to  cut 
away  such  parts  of  the  wood  work  as  particularly  incommoded 
him,  and  to  widen  the  hole  the  passage  of  the  rope  had  made. 
Through  this  hole,  by  means  of  a  small  bottle,  soup  and  wine 
were  let  down  to  him,  and  after  a  few  days,  what  was  quite  as 
important,  a  narrow  bag  to  receive  and  bring  to  the  surface  the 
constantly  accumulating  sand,  which  must  soon  have  smothered 
him,  if  this  means  of  removing  it  had  not  been  devised,  and  he 
had  not  had  strength  and  energy  for  such  painful  labor  as  the 
constantly  filling  and  refilling  the  bag  soon  became.  Of  course, 
any  p7'essure  from  above  would  have  forced  in  the  temporary 
roof,  so  that  nothing  could  be  attempted  in  the  way  of  removing 
the  mass  of  sand,  &c  ,  that  had  fiillen  in.  They  dared  not  to 
touch  the  surface  above;  but  they  contrived,  by  means  of  a 
tube,  to  speak  to  him.  A  cousin  of  his,  himself  a  well-digger, 
was  let  down  for  this  purpose.  This  man  spoke  to  Dufavel,  and 
assured  him  the  miners  were  making  progress,  and  would  soon 
reach  him;  he  inquired  after  his  wife  and  child,  and  charged  his 
cousin  to  tell  her  from  him  to  be  of  good  cheer,  and  not  to  lose 
heart;  at  this  time  he  had  been  a  week  in  the  well. 

Day  succeeded  day,  and  still  the  expectations  of  the  miners 
were  deceived.  They  worked  night  and  day,  but  such  was  the 
treacherous  nature  of  the  soil,  that  neither  pickaxe  nor  shovel 
could  be  used ;  the  foremost  miner  worked  upon  his  knees,  in- 
serting cautiously  a  flat  piece  of  wood  into  the  ground,  and  after- 
wards gathering  up  with  his  hands,  and  passing  to  those  behind 
him,  the  sand  which  he  thus  disturbed.  On  the  twelfth  day  of 
his  imprisonment,  they  calculated  that  they  were  twelve  inches 
from  him,  and  yet  it  took  them  two  days  longer  before  they  wero 

21* 


246   dufavel's  adventure  in  the  "^yell. 


able  to  reach  him.  Every  minute  the  ground  was  giving  way; 
and  it  sometimes  took  them  many  hours  to  repair  the  damage 
that  a  single  moment  had  produced.  Besides,  they  felt  it  neces- 
sary to  proceed  with  the  utmost  caution,  when  they  approached 
Dufavel ;  for  there  was  great  reason  to  fear,  whenever  an  opening 
was  made,  the  mass  of  sand  above  his  head  would  fall  down  and 
suffocate  him.  At  length,  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  of 
Friday,  16th  of  September,  they  made  a  small  opening  into  the 
well,  just  above  his  shoulders.  The  poor  man  shouted  for  joy, 
and  was  able  with  his  knife  to  assist  in  extricating  himself.  He 
was  carefully  conveyed  along  the  horizontal  gallery,  and  wrapped 
in  blankets  before  he  was  drawn  up  into  the  open  air.  Several 
medical  men  were  in  attendance,  and  one  of  them  had  him  con- 
veyed to  his  house,  and  put  into  bed. 

We  will  not  attempt  to  describe  Dufavel's  happy  meeting  with 
his  wife,  nor  the  tears  of  joy  which  he  shed  over  his  infant  boy, 
who  did  not  at  first  recognize  him,  muffled'  up  as  he  was  obliged 
to  be  to  protect  him  from  the  cold,  and  his  chin  covered  by  a 
beard  of  more  than  a  fortnight's  growth.  In  the  evening,  he  was 
so  well,  that  Doctor  Bienveuu  consented  to  his  being  conveyed  to 
his  own  home ;  and  he  was  accordingly  transported  thither  on  a 
litter,  attended  by  a  great  coucoursc  of  happy  and  thankful 
spectators. 


THE  WOLVES  OF  RUSSIA. 

In  traversing  the  vast  plains  of  Northern  Russia,  the  traveller 
encounters  much  danger  and  difficulty.  The  severity  of  the 
climate  is  extreme,  and  to  those  who  have  not  been  bred  in 
Northern  countries  almost  intolerable  Wild  beasts  are  numerous. 
The  most  formidable  arc  bears  and  wolves.  The  latter  go  in 
large  flocks,  and  when  suffering  for  want  of  food  are  daring  and 
persevering  in  their  attacks,  upon  man  as  well  as  upon  beasts. 
The  Russians  are  aware  of  this  danger,  and  generally  carry  arras 
in  the  sleighs  in  which  they  travel.  Besides,  the  sides  of  tho 
sleigh  are  armed  with  long  and  sharp  iron  spikes,  which  keep 
the  wolves  at  bay.  In  spite  of  all  precautions,  however,  dread- 
ful disasters  have  happened  to  travellers  in  the  dreary  wilds,  far 
from  the  abode  of  man.  Such  is  the  appearance  of  the  wolf 
when  supported  by  a  flock  of  its  fellows,  that  master  and  horse 
have  been  forced  to  yield,  and  have  been  devoured.  Those  who 
are  obliged  to  travel  and  are  yet  unable  to  provide  themselves 
against  attack,  escape  but  seldom.  The  story  of  the  woman  who 
sacrificed  several  of  her  children  to  save  herself  is  well  known  to 
all  readers.     To  such  perils  many  have  been  exposed. 

It  was  the  middle  of  January,  18 — .  The  cold  was  intense, 
and  the  snow  several  feet  in  depth,  was  frozen  hard.  Along  the 
road  which  led  across  the  plains,  or  steppes  in  the  northern  part 
of  Russia,  a  sleigh,  drawn  by  two  horses,  and  containing  four 
men,  proceeded  at  a  rapid  pace.  The  sleigh  was  of  substantial, 
rather    than   elec-ant   construction,    and   was   armed   upon    the 

(247) 


248  THE   WOLVES   OF   RUSSIA. 


sides  in  the  usual  manner.  The  travellers  ■were  closely  "wrapped 
in  fur,  but  it  was  evident  that  they  belonged  to  the  more  re- 
spectable class  of  peasantry  from  the  peculiar  manner  in  which 
their  hats  were  decorated.  The  same  might  have  been  surmised 
from  the  character  of  the  vehicle  in  which  they  were  pursuing 
their  journey.  One  of  them  was  an  old  man,  with  a  long  grey 
beard,  and  withered  features.  The  other  three  were  young,  and 
had  a  hearty  vigourous  look.  As  the  horses  galloped  over  the 
frozen  snow,  occasionally  touched  with  the  whip  of  the  driver, 
the  travellers  conversed  upon  various  subjects.  It  was  growing 
towards  night,  a  large  and  gloomy  forest  was  near,  and  our 
travellers  had  many  miles  to  go  before  reaching  an  inn.  Under 
these  circumstances  there  was  reason  for  alarm. 

"  Whip,  whip,  Ivan  \"  said  the  old  man  to  the  driver. 
"  We've  much  snow  to  cross  before  we  find  a  bed." 

"It  isn't  everybody  who  would  like  to  be  here  at  this  time  of 
the  day,"  said  one  of  the  young  men,  sitting  in  the  back  part  of 
ihe  sleigh. 

"  Phsaw  !  there's  no  danger  on  this  road  if  3'ou  know  how  to 
conduct  yourselves,"  said  Ivan,  the  driver.  "  To  be  sure,  there 
are  pinch-bellied  wolves  and  ugly  bears  about,  and  it's  true  that 
old  JovanofF  came  this  way  and  was  no  more  heard  of;  but  four 
men  ought  to  be  able  to  keep  back  all  the  wolves  in  creation." 

"  Keep  the  horses  to  their  present  work,   nevertheless,"  said 
the  old  man.     "  If  we  all  had  guns  and  plenty  of  ammunition, 
it  would  be  very  well  to  say  as  you  do,  but  one  gun,  a  pitch-fork,  ' 
and  a  couple  of  canes  are  poor  arms  for  anj^  such  fight,  a  fool 
might   know." 

"  I  wonder  if  old  Jovanoff  went  down  the  throats  of  the 
wolves,"  said  one  of  the  young  men. 

"Where  else  could  he  go?"  enquired  another. 

'  Yes,  we  may  set  it  down,  the  wolves  ate  the  old  man,"  said 
Ivan.  "  What  a  foolish  thing  it  was  for  a  person  of  his  age  to 
dare  to  come  this  way,  with  no  companion  but  his  gun." 

"  He  was  intoxicated  when  he  started,"  said  the  old  man. 


THE   WOLVES  OF   RUSRIA.  249 


"  That  comes  of  our  good  lord  being  too  generous  iu  distribu- 
ting liquor  among  his  workmen/'  said  Ivan. 

"  Not  so ;  why  must  a  man  get  intoxicated  because  he  has 
plenty  of  liquor  ?  It  was  the  fault- of  old  Jovanoff  himself/' 
said  the  old  man. 

"  There,  those  eternal  wolves  have  commenced  their  choruses, 
and  twilight  will  soon  give  place  to  night.  Stir  the  horses, 
Ivan/'  said  one  of  the  young  men. 

"  I  have  them  at  full  speed,  now,"  replied  the  driver. 

The  road  now  ran  through  the  forest,  and  the  dismal  howling 
of  the  wolves  echoed  around.  It  seemed  as  if  they  were  spread- 
ing their  war-cry  and  rallying  their  forces.  Occasionally  one  or 
two  would  come  out  into  the  road  far  ahead,  stand  and  look 
eagerlj'  at  the  swiftly  advancing  horses,  and  then  scamper  into 
the  ghostly-looking  forest.  The  travellers  grasped  such  arms  as 
they  possessed,  and  seemed  prepared  for  desperate  resistance  to 
any  attack.  As  they  proceeded  further  into  the  forest,  the  dark- 
ness increased,  and  the  dreadful  chorus  of  the  wolves  became 
louder.  Several  large  parties  of  the  hungry  animals  were  seen 
to  follow  the  sleigh  for  a  short  distance,  and  then  halt,  as  if  con- 
scious of  the  danger  of  the  attempt  against  four  men.  But  as 
their  forces  grew  more  numerous,  their  confidence  increased, 
and  they  swarmed  to  the  vicinity  of  the  sleigh.  The  horses 
were  put  to  their  utmost  speed.  But  they  had  exerted  them- 
selves for  many  hours,  and  began  to  break.  The  wolves  had 
very  little  difficulty  in  keeping  up  with  them.  The  whip  was 
applied  with  fearful  force,  as  the  driver  was  occasionally  stimu- 
lated by  his  companions.  One  or  two  shots  from  the  gun  of  the 
old  man,  which  slew  one  of  the  fierce  pursuers,  had  the  effect  of 
daunting  them  for  a  time.  But  their  hunger  maddened  them, 
and  they  could  not  give  up  the  prospect  of  such  a  feast.  Two 
horses  and  four  men  !  How  they  smacked  their  terrible  jaws, 
and  howled,  and  flew  over  the  snow  !  The  travellers  were  alert, 
but  calm  and  firm.  The  Bussians  are  noted  for  their  iron  resolu- 
tion, and  the  men  of  our  party  possessed  their  full  share  of  the 
national  peculiarity. 


250  THE   WOLVES   OF   RUSSIA. 


''Down  with  that  miscreant,  Buloff !"  said  the  old  man  to  one 
»f  the  young  men,  as   a   wolf  leaped  on   the   back  of  the  sleigh. 
Buloff  caught  the  wolf  by  the  back  of  the  neck,  lifted  him  with 
ease  and  dashed  him  to  the  earth.     About  the  same  time,  the  old 
man  shot  among  the  howling  pack,  and  Ivan  struck  a  wolf  dead, 
that  had  leaped  at  the  neck  of  one  of  the  horses.     The  sleigh  at 
length  emerged   from  the    forest.      Yet  the    battle  continued. 
Some  of  the  wolves,  attempting  to  spring  into  the  sleigh,  were 
mortally   wounded  by  the  spikes  upon  its  sides.     While  Ivan, 
with  a  pitchfork  in  one   hand,  and  the  whip  in  the  other,  struck 
the  furious  beasts,  and  stimulated  the  harassed  horses ;  the  other 
three  men  fought  with  resolution  and  success  on  all  sides.     Each 
one  seemed  to   feel  that  it  was  a  struggle  for  life,  and  nerved 
himself  for  the  utmost  exertion.      Yet   the  odds  were  fearful, 
and  aid  was  distant.     The  horses  were  severely  bitten  and  torn, 
and,  it  was  clear,  could  not  stand  such  tremendous  work  much 
longer.     Suddenly,  while  striking  a  furious  blow  at  a  wolf  with 
his  fork,   Ivan    was   precipitated  from   the  sleigh,  which   drove 
swiftly  on.     The  young  man  shrieked  for  aid,  as  he  strove  man- 
fully among  the   thronging  wolves.       But  the  maddened  horses 
could  not  bo  stopped,  and   his  companions  beheld   him  thrown 
down  and  torn  to  pieces,  without  having  it  in  their  power  to  lend 
him  a  helping  hand.     On  they  went,  pursued  by  a  host  of  perse- 
vering foes.     Another  young   man  had  taken  Ivan's  place,  and 
he  endeavored  to  protect  the  horses.     But  his  weapon,  a  thick 
stick,  was  scarcely  sufficient.     The  whole  party  were  nearly  ex- 
hausted,   when    a   faint    glimmer    was    seen    in    the    distance. 
"  Praised  be  God  !"  exclaimed  the  old  man  "  there  is  the  inn  at 
last.     Courage ;  and   strive  manfully  my  friends,  and  we  may 
yet  be  saved.     Now,  shout,  and  aid  may  come."    The  three  then 
shouted  at  the  top  of  their  voices,  and  struck  more  vigorously 
on   every  side.      An  answering  shout   was  soon  heard  in  the 
direction  of  the  light,  and  the  wolves  began  to  drop  off  from  the 
long  pursuit.    The  lights  come  nearer,  and  the  shouts  are  louder. 
Then !  one  of  the  horses  falls  and  drags  the  other  down.     The 
wolves  are  upon  them,  and  the  men  can  but  protect  themselves 


o 

t-l 
<! 

en 

>■ 
H 

H 

o 
i-i 

tn 


THE   WOLVES   OF    RUSSIA. 


253 


But  the  light  and  its  bearers  are  at  hand.  A  volley  sends  the 
wolves  flying  in  every  direction ;  many  are  killed,  and  the  ex- 
hausted travellers  are  saved. 

One  of  the  horses  was  too  much  mutilated  to  be  of  any  ser- 
vice, and  the  poor  beast  was  shot  and  left  upon  the  ground. 
The  other  was  .taken  with  the  sleigh  and  the  three  travellers  to 
the  inn,  a  short  distance  ahead.  Copious  draughts  of  spirits 
were  given  to  the  exhausted  men,  and  they  soon  recovered  suffi- 
cient strength  to  recount  the  horrors  of  their  journey.  Their 
escape  had  been  almost  miraculous.  The  bones  of  poor  Ivan 
were  found  by  another  party  near  the  spot  where  he  perished, 
and  a  decent  burial  was  given  to  them.  The  events  of  the 
journey,  "enlarged  and  improved,"  served  the  innkeeper  for  a 
story,  with  which  he  startled  his  guests  for  several  years  after- 
wards; so  tliat  a  wholesome  dread  of  wolves  was  instilled  into 
travellers  by  that  road. 


22 


THE  EETEEAT  FROM  MOSCOW. 


The  burning  of  Moscow  by  the  resolute  Russians  left  Napo- 
leon without  winter-quarters  for  his  mighty  army.  After  many 
attempts  at  negotiation,  he  resolved  to  ori\»  th-^  f.'^il  order  to 
retreat — the  first  step  doM'n  the  hill  of  f.^tune.  Of  thc'horrors 
of  that  retreat,  no  v.-ords  can  give  an  adequate  idea.  All  tliat 
the  most  of  mankiad  have  felt  or  imagined  of  misery  is  but  a 
lake  to  a  sea  in  comparison  with  that  progress  of  blood  and 
death.     An  eye-witness  of  some  of  its  scenes  speaks  thus : — 

Now  began  to  open  upon  us  the  ghastly  spectacle  of  war,  tlie 
most  murderous  because  the  most  vindictive,  and  also  war  combined 
with  agencies  of  nature,  that  ever  can  have  been  exhibited.  This 
I  say  thoughtfully;  for  in  hot  climates,  through  wliich  lay  the 
whole  of  the  great  military  campaigns  or  retreats  in  ancient  his- 
tory— such  as  those  of  Cambyses,  Crassus,  Julian — there  never 
could  have  been  that  direct  and  silent  agency  of  nature  put  forth 
which  occurs  under  higher  latitudes.  A  snow  storm,  it  is  true, 
has  sometimes  interrupted  a  march  near  Jerusalem,  but  not  for 
any  continuance,  and  not  except  in  winter,  when  the  ancients 
rarely  undertook  warlike  expeditions.  Here  only,  from  the  vast 
extent  of  the  fighting  and  the  retreat,  nature  had  time  allowed 
her  to  develope  her  resources — full  seven  weeks  of  time  after  the 
snow  commenced  in  good  earnest  over  full  seven  hundred  miles 
English  of  ground;  for  an  army  encumbered  as  the  French  was, 
cannot,  in  the  most  favourable  circumstances,  clear  more  than 
(254) 


■^'^tfliti!|'»IJfelilllil!:i: 


.I'llllljllll 


mm';  ■''■■:^  yi  m  \n  n 


THE   RETREAT   FROM    MOSCOW.  257 


fourteen  and  a  half  English  miles  a  day.  I  affirm  therefore, 
peremptorily,  that  such  a  case,  when  the  sword  was  aided  through 
seven  long  weeks  by  the  fiercest  artillery  from  the  heavens,  and 
also  from  the  rage  of  famine — never  was  exhibited  before,  nor 
probably  will  be  again  for  a  millcniura,  unless  it  should  be  in 
American  wars.  So  true  is  the  summing  up  in  a  modern 
English  poet — that  God,  in  the  anger  of  retribution,  speaking 
by  his  "  still  small  voice," 

"  said  to  Famine,  Frost  and  Snow, 


Finish  the  strife  by  deadliest  victory." 
It  is  false  and  basely  unjust  to  the  Russians,  if  we  submit  to  the 
representations  of  some  historians,  that  the  sword  had  no  share 
in  this  tremendous  catastrophe  !  on  the  contrary,  it  was  the 
sword  that  reaped  the  earliest  harvest ;  and  to  the  mute  agency 
of  heaven  was  assigned  only  the  final  task — 

"Finish  the  strife  hy  deadliest  victory." 

From  Pleskow  we  passed  to  Druja,  thence  over  the  frozen  river 
Duena ;  and  from  that  point  we  directed  our  course  by  way  of 
Widzky  and  Svenziany  upon  Wilna.  The  reader  must  remember 
that,  all  along  this  route,  there  had  been  desperate  fighting,  as 
well  as  upon  the  Smolcnsko  roads  towards  Wilna,  and  the  ravages 
of  frost  upon  the  bands  of  prisoners  had  been  almost  equally  for- 
midable all  the  way  up  to  Pleskow,  as  it  had  upon  the  Moscow 
road ;  for,  after  the  road  on  this  quarter  was  cleared  of  combatants, 
the  prisoners  were  transferred  by  M^holesale  to  Pleskow,  within 
twenty-four  hours'  distance  by  sledge  travelling  from  St.  Peters- 
burg. Means  of  transport  there  could  not  be  disposable  for  the 
French  wounded,  seeing  that  too  often  even  the  Russian  wounded 
had  no  proper  accommodation  ;  food,  medicines,  lint,  dressing, 
all  fell  short  to  the  most  pitiable  extent,  upon  a  summons  so 
sudden.  Poor,  sandy,  uncultivated,  was  the  land,  and  miserably 
barren  of  people,  all  the  way  from  Pleskow  until  we  reached  the 
neighbourhood  of  Wilna.  Through  the  whole  extent  of  this 
wide  region,  the  eye  beheld  but  few  signs  of  life;  every  where 
roofless  houses,  with  not  so  much  as  a  cat  mewing  amongst  the 
ruins;    shapeless   wrecks    where   there   had   been   villages   or 

22* 


258         THE  RETKEAT  FROM  MOSCOW. 


churches;  heajjs  of  forlorn  chimneys,  stone  ■window-frames  or 
mullions,  rafters  scorched  and  bkckened;  oftentimes  piles  of 
nondescript  rubbish,  from  which  rose  up  through  melting  snow, 
smouldering  flames,  vapours  and  a  hideous  odour,  that  too  often 
bespoke  the  secret  crimes  lurking  below — bodies  rotting  and 
slowly  burning,  probably  those  of  unoffending  peasants.  We 
had  full  time  for  meditation,  and  for  gathering  at  the  post 
houses  the  anecdotes  of  this  dreadful  war,  in  Vv'hich  so  often  the 
murderer  was  confounded  in  one  common  ruin  with  his  victim, 
or  so  often  a  speedy  retribution  overtook  him ;  for  the  poor  Lith- 
uanian horses,  which  had  been  saved  from  the  enemy  by  drivino- 
them  inland  to  remote  stations,  were  so  enfeebled  by  the  want  of 
food,  that  they  could  scarcely  creep  along  the  road ;  all  forage 
whatsoever  had  long  disappeared,  (as  being  too  heavy  to  remove, 
and  in  such  earnest  demand  for  the  cavalry  on  both  sides  )  I 
cannot  better  express  the  exhaustion  of  the  horses  than  by  men- 
tioning, that  the  minister's  travelling-carriage,  placed  u^jon  a 
sledge,  and  not  heavily  laden,  (since  all  his  baggage,  except  di- 
plomatic credentials,  &c.,  came  after  him  amongst  the  Emperor's,) 
never  moved  between  the  Duena  and  Widzky  at  more  than 
three  and  a  half  miles  an  hour;  and  that  we  were  obliged  to 
halt  at  every  little  pincushion  of  a  rising  ground,  notwithstand- 
ing we  always  had  six  horses  in  the  traces;  very  frequently  eight. 
Life  seemed  on  the  brink  of  general  extinction  in  this  region, 
equally  amongst  men  and  amongst  brute  animals. 

On  the  second,  third,  and  fourth  days  of  our  journey,  already 
we  began  to  meet  the  long  files  of  prisoners.  What  a  spectacle  ! 
Literally  a  succession  of  lazar-houses  and  hospitals  turned  out  into 
the  open  air.  Meagre  wretches,  crawling  along  with  difficulty, 
not  always  in  a  human  posture,  but  on  their  knees,  blood-soaked 
rags  hanging  about  them,  their  faces  blue,  or  even  livid  purple,  and 
endeavouring  to  draw  warmth  as  well  as  nutriment  from  pieces 
of  loathsome  raw  horse-flesh.  Many  died  before  our  eyes,  as  we 
slowly  moved  along,  and  in  crowds  at  the  posting-stations.  That 
part  of  the  sick,  for  whom  sledges  had  at  last  been  found,  were 
packed  in  layers,  one  over  the  other,  with  straw  between  them. 


THE   RETIIEAT   FROM   MOSCOW.  259 


Which  would  die  first,  it  had  been  impossible  to  judge  in  these 
hurried  packings  of  human  creatures.  Which  had  died  first,  it 
became  difficult  to  know ;  the  straw  perhaps,  or  the  man  above 
him,  preventing  any  clear  examination  of  the  face;  and  the 
dreadful  effect  from  decomposition  being  now  slow  to  express 
themselves  decisively  under  this  iron  rigour  of  frost.  And  thus 
at  the  posting-houses,  where  piles  of  these  victims  were  accumu- 
lated for  want  of  horses,  the  groans  of  suff'ering,  shrieks  of  an- 
guish from  festering  wounds,  the  parting  spasm  or  farewell  sigh 
of  the  departing,  might  all  be  heard  (sometimes  all  at  one  mo- 
ment) from  the  s:ime  sledge ;  whilst  from  others,  the  silence, 
total  or  comparative,  would  announce  that  the  last  struggle  is 
past.  As  often  as  this  event  was  discovered — an  event  desirable 
to  all  eyes,  when  so  many  were  waiting  for  any  protection  from 
the  icy  wind  or  the  exposure  of  the  road — the  corpse  or  corpses 
would  be  hastily-  removed ;  in  doing  which,  as  the  death  or 
deaths  might  have  occurred  indiff"erently  in  any  layer,  upper  or 
lower,  a  disturbance  more  agonizing  than  their  wounds  was 
often  jriven  to  such  as  mia;ht  remain  alive.  But  what  was  done 
with  the  corpses  extracted  from  these  freights  of  misery  ?  Were 
they  buried  ?  Not  at  all.  That  would  have  been  a  work  of  toil 
in  the  frozen  state  of  the  ground.  But,  at  least,  they  might 
have  been  decently  withdrawn  from  exposure  by  a  few  inches  of 
snow.  This,  however,  so  slight  a  tribute  of  respect  to  our  com- 
mon humanity  was  not  attempted.  In  many  places  there  was  a 
reasonable  plea  for  the  neglect ;  viz.  that  the  famished  wolves 
would  soon  detect  the  coi'pse.  But  I  am  afraid  that  a  strength 
was  given  to  this  argument,  which  otherwise  it  would  not  have 
had,  in  circumstances,  where  the  enemy  had  been  less  hated,  or 
his  tyranny  less  insulting.  I  do  not  complain  that  such  feelings 
should  exist.  They  are  too  natural  and  wholesome  in  their 
action  to  be  wrong;  but  I  feel  that  there  is  a  sanctity  in  death, 
and  an  atonement  to  human  justice  in  the  payment  of  this  final 
penalty,  which  should  cause  our  enmity  to  cease  at  that  point. 

But  here,  so  far  from  any  such  revolution  of  feeling  having 
tal'  'n  place,  on  the  contrary,  through  the  whole  route  to  Wilna, 


THE    RETREAT    FROil    MOSCOW.  260 


dead  men  had  been  hung  up  on  the  branches  of  trees,  with 
marks  of  ignominy  on  their  persons — brands  impressed  on  theii 
ghastly  foreheads — stakes  driven  through  their  hearts. 

Sometimes  where  the  snow  lay  too  heavily  on  these  boughs,  or 
the  furious  north-easter  with  the  weight  of  the  dead  man  had 
weakened  them  too  much,  the  whole  mass,  broken  boughs  and 
corpse,  would  all  come  down  together,  and  lie  across  the  narrow 
road.  Oftentimes  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  when  all  was  dark 
in  the  wild  ''  tormented"  air,  and  only  the  ground  was  illumina- 
ted by  the  snow,  suddenly  our  eight  horses  would  all  fall  back 
upon  their  haunches,  snort,  rear,  plunge ;  and  when  we  alighted 
with  our  torches  to  examine  the  cause  of  this  tumult,  we  gene- 
rally found  a  litter  of  wood  disbranched  from  some  tree  that 
overshadowed  the  road,  but  in  the  centre  a  human  body,  and 
perhaps  a  face  half-withered  by  frost,  half-eaten  by  a  wolf,  yet 
still,  amongst  mouldering  and  ruins,  not  improbably  presenting 
a  faded  expression  of  horrid  human  passions.  After  we  had  passed 
Widzky,  these  interruptions  grew  more  frequent;  and  much 
more  troublesome,  from  the  greatly  increasing  speed  of  the 
horses,  who  could  with  difficulty  be  persuaded  by  the  postilions 
to  clear  the  corpses  by  flying  leaps.  The  difficulty  of  these  sus- 
pensions had  naturally  made  them  far  less  frequent,  until  we 
came  into  the  more  populous  regions  leading  towards  Wilna. 
But  this  memento  of  the  roads  and  their  condition,  1  can  leave 
for  all  future  estimators  of  this  unparalleled  war — that  from  the 
river  Duena  to  Wilna,  however  many  were  the  cross  roads,  or 
however  expansive  might  be  the  heath  or  the  forest  through 
which  the  traveller  was  left  to  choose  a  track,  no  stranger  could 
ever  have  needed  a  guide,  but  might,  through  these  hundreds  of 
miles,  have  guided  himself  by  the  unburied  corpses. 


LIFE   IN   SIBERIA. 

On  the  23d  of  March,  1820,  Lieutenant  Von  Wrangel  left  St 
Petersburgh,  with  the  design  of  exploring  the  north-eastern 
coast  of  Siberia.  This  bold  and  intelligent  officer  traversed  that 
bleak  and  wild  country  which  forms  a  large  and  interesting  portion 
of  the  Russian  empire,  and  made  close  observation  of  life  through 
its  whole  extent.     From  his  report,  we  quote  the  following : — 

In  the  valley  of  Mioro  we  are  introduced  to  a  Yakoot  who 
passes  for  a  Croesus  in  that  part  of  the  world.  His  lands  and 
herds  are  valued  at  upwards  of  half  a  million  of  rubles,  yet  he 
retains  almost  all  the  habits  of  his  race.  One  of  the  distin- 
guishing characteristics  of  this  pastoral  nation,  as  of  the  Hin- 
doos, appears  to  be  an  extravagant  fondness  for  litigation,  to 
gratify  which  they  will  often  undertake  fatiguing  and  costly 
journeys,  when  the  matter  in  dispute  does  not  perhaps  exceed 
half  a  ruble.  M.  Von  Wrangel  hints  that  the  Russian  func- 
tionaries are  not  slow  in  encouraging  a  propensity  from  which 
they  derive  a  material  part  of  their  income. 

An  American  groom  would  find  some  difficulty  in  picturing  to 
himself  the  habits  of  the  Yakoot  horses  : — 

"  They  will  often,"  says  M.  Von  Wrangel,  "  make  the  most 
fatiguing  journeys  of  more  than  three  months  duration,  and 
though  during  the  whole  of  this  time  they  receive  no  nourish- 
ment but  the  shrunk  and  half  decayed  grass,  which  they  are 
obliged  to  scrape  with  their  hoofs  from  under  the  snow  and 
ice,  nevertheless  they  continue  strong  and  in  good  condition,  and 
manifest  the  most  astonishing  powers  of  endurance.  It  is  re- 
markable, also  that  the  Yakoot  horses  preserve  their  teeth  un- 
injured to  a  very  advanced  age,  whereas  those  of  European 
horses  are  worn  away  as  they  grow  old.     This  may  possibly  ba 

(261) 


262  LIFE    IN    SIBERIA. 


occasioned  by  the  hard  corn  on  which  ours  are  fed,  while  those 
of  Siberia  never  receive  oats,  nor  indeed  any  thing  but  the  soft 
grass.  The  Siberian  horses  also  continue  young  much  longer 
than  ours  do ;  one  of  them  will  do  good  service  to  his  master 
for  thirty  years." 

"We  cannot  refuse  ourselves  the  pleasure  of  pausing  for  a  mo- 
ment to  make  our  readers  acquainted  with  Father  Michael,  the 
Uussian  priest  of  Suschiversk,  a  small  town  on  the  banks  of  the 
Indigirka ;  so  small  indeed,  that  it  consists  only  of  a  church  and 
four  or  live  huts,  tlie  whole  population  being  composed  of  the 
priest,  hisJ)rother,  a  Yakoot  postmaster,  and  two  Russian  fami- 
lies. Consigned  as  Father  Michael  was  to  what  must  have  ap- 
peared so  insignificant  a  station,  he  has  found  means,  by  the 
zealous  discharge  of  his  pastoral  duties,  to  make  his  name  known 
and  respected  throughout  a  large  portion  of  his  sovereign's  do- 
minions. Father  Michael,  when  M.  Von  Wrangel  visited  him 
in  1820,  was  eighty-seven  years  of  age,  sixty  of  which  had  been 
passed  in  his  humble  living.  During  this  period  he  had  not 
merely  baptized,  but  had  really  initiated  into  the  first  principles 
of  the  Christian  religion,  more  than  15,000  Yakoots,  Tuugu- 
sians,  and  Yukaheers ;  and  by  his  preaching  and  friendly  coun- 
sel, and  more  perhaps  by  his  example,  he  had  found  means  to 
operate  an  evident  improvement  in  their  moral  and  social  condi- 
tion. Age  had  in  no  way  cooled  the  zeal  of  this  Siberian 
apostle,  who,  regardless  alike  of  peril  and  of  the  rigours  of  the 
climate,  was  still  in  the  habit  of  travelling  2000  versts, 
(equal  to  about  two-thirds  of  an  English  mile)  every  year  to 
baptize  the  new-born  children  of  his  widely  scattered  flock,  to 
whom  he  not  only  afforded  spiritual  consolation  and  temporal 
advice,  but  was  ready,  on  an  emergency,  to  assume  the  office  of 
physician,  a  character  to  which  he  may  have  been  indebted  for 
no  small  part  of  his  influence  over  his  rude  parishioners.  Father 
Michael,  however,  was  not  wholly  absorbed  by  his  clerical  duties. 
Old  as  he  was,  he  still  went  up  a  fur-hunting  to  the  neighbour- 
ing mountains,  and  relied  upon  his  rifle  .for  no  small  addition  to 
his  little  income;  and  he  had   succeeded  in    planting   a    little 


"'■"'•'l:l"l'i'-'l.ii,7/////V'//J/'"'  '     'I' 


LIFE   IN    SIBERIA.  265 


kitchen  garden,  in  which  he  reared  potatoes,  turnips,  cabbages,  and 
other  European  vegetables,  exotics  usually  known  only  by  name 
in  these  remote  northern  regions.  Among  other  dainties,  the  old 
man  placed  before  his  guest  a  cake  made  of  fish  flour,  an  article 
of  his  own  invention.  The  fish,  having  been  completely  dried, 
is  rubbed  into  fine  powder,  and,  if  kept  from  the  damp,  may  be 
preserved  for  a  long  time.  M.  Von  Wrangel  assures  us,  that, 
with  the  addition  of  a  little  wheaten  flour,  very  savoury  pastry 
may  be  made  of  it. 

The  cold  became  more  severe  as  our  author  advanced  further 
towards  the  north,  and  before  reaching  Sredne-Kolymsk,  though 
yet  in  the  middle  of  October,  the  thermometer  had  already 
marked  29°  below  Zero.  He  thought  it  high  time,  therefore, 
to  make  his  winter  toilette,  the  particulars  of  which  may  be  in- 
teresting to  those  of  our  readers  who  are  desirous  of  studying 
foreign  fashions. 

''  Over  my  customary  travelling  uniform  1  had  first  to  pull  a 
camisole  with  sleeves  and  breast-piece,  both  lined  with  the  fur  of 
the  silver  fox.  Over  my  feet  I  drew  double  socks  of  soft  young 
reindeer  skin ;  and,  over  these,  high  boots  or  turhassy  of  similar 
material.  When  riding,  I  put  on,  in  addition,  my  najcohnniki 
or  knee-pieces.  Lastly  came  the  KuMdanha,  or  over-all,  a  sort 
of  wide  sack  with  sleeves,  made  of  double  reindeer  skin,  with 
fur  inside  and  out,  and  a  hood  of  fur  hanging  down  the  back. 
There  were  also  a  number  of  small  pieces  to  protect  the  face ; 
the  nanossknik  for  the  nose,  nahorodniJc  for  the  chin,  the  naus- 
niki  for  the  ears,  the  nalohnik  for  the  forehead,  &c. ;  and  to  com- 
plete my  costume  came  an  immense  fox-skin  cap  with  long  ears. 
I  was  so  embarrassed  by  this  cumbersome,  and  to  me  unaccus- 
tomed dress,  that  it  was  only  with  the  assistance  of  my  attendant 
I  was  able  to  mount  my  horse.  Fortunately,  the  skin  of  the 
reindeer  is  exceedingly  light,  considering  its  warmth  and  close- 
ness ;  otherwise  it  would  be  impossible  to  bear  the  weight  of  so 
many  pieces  of  fur." 

Nishney-Kolymsk  is  a  wretched  fishing  village,  consisting  of  a 
<>hurch  and  forty-two  houses   or   huts,   into  which   the  inmates 

23 


266  LIFE   IN    SIBERIA. 


creep  for  shelter  during  tlieir  nine  months'  winter,  but  which  are 
left  to  take  care  of  themselves  during  what  are  called  the  summer 
months,  when  the  whole  population  wander  away  to  catch  fish 
and  reindeer,  of  which  the  meat,  when  frozen,  is  laid  by  as  a  stock 
for  the  winter.     Completely  exposed  to  the  piercing  winds  that 
come  sweeping  from   the  north  pole,  the  climate  of  the  place  is 
even  more  severe  than  its  latitude  would  imply.     On  the  3d  of 
November,  when  M.   Von  Wrangel  arrived,   the   thermometer 
stood   at  32°   (36°  below  zero  of  Fahrenheit;)  and  though  in 
summer  the  temperature  sometimes  rises  to  18°  (7°  of  Fahren- 
heit,) yet  the  average  for  the  year-  is  not  above   8°  below  the 
freezing  point  of  Reaumur.     During  the  first  week  in  September 
the   Kolyma  is  usually  frozen    over,   and  in   January  the  cold 
reaches  43°  (59°  below  Fahrenheit's  zero,)  when  the  very   act 
of  breathing   becomes  painful,  and  the  snow  itself  throws  off  a 
vapour  !      This   intense   cold    is  usually  accompanied   by  a  thick 
mist,   a  clear  day  being  of  rare   occurrence  through   the  whole 
winter.     For  eight  and  thirty   days  the  sun  never  rises,    and  fur 
fifty-two  it  never  sets.     The  summer  itself  brings  little  enjoy- 
ment with  it,  for  in  the  early  part  of  July  the  gnats  or  mosqui- 
toes appear  in   such  countless  swarms,  that  they  fairly  darken 
the  atmosphere,  when   large  fires   are  lighted   of  dried  moss  and 
leaves,  under   the  smoke  of  which   not  only  the  inhabitants  but 
even  the  cattle  seek  shelter  from  the  persecution  of  their  dimi- 
nutive tormentors.     These  insects,  however,  perform   one  most 
important  office  for   the  good   people  of  Nishney  Kolymsk,  by 
driving  the  wild  reindeer  from   the  forest  to  the  open  heath  or 
tuudro.     The  herds  wander  by  thousands  during  the  gnat  season 
towards  the  sea-coast,  when  more  particularly  while  crossing  the 
rivers,  large  numbers  of  them  are  easily  killed  by  the  hunters. 
Vegetation  is  almost  extinct  in  this  nortliern  region.     A  few 
berries  are  in  favourable  seasons  collected  by   the  women;  but 
with  this  exception  no  plant  grows  that  can  be  used  for  food 
The  soil  never  thaws ;  and  of  the   few  stunted  trees  that    still 
linger  about  the  lower  Kolyma,  the  roots  seldom  strike  into   the 
ground,  but  Ho  for  the  most  part  stretched  along  the  surface,  as 


LIFE   IN    SIBERIA.  267 


though  they  shrunk  from  the  thick  strata  of  ice  below.  A  few 
•wild  flowers  adorn  the  heaths  in  summer ;  the  rose  and  the  for- 
get-me-not then  invite  the  sentimental  lover  to  expatiate  on 
their  beauty,  if  love  and  sentiment  can  indeed  exist  where  all 
Nature  is  covered  with  an  almost  perpetual  shroud — a  north 
wind,  even  in  summer,  scarcely  ever  failing  to  bring  with  it  a 
snow-storm. 

The  dwellings  of  the  Russians  along  the  Lower  Kolyma 
vary  but  little  from  those  of  the  Yakoots  and  other  Siberian 
aborigines.  The  trees  in  this  part  of  the  country  being  too 
stunted  to  afford  any  materials  for  building,  the  inhabitants  de- 
pend for  their  supply  of  timber  wholly  upon  the  drift  wood 
brought  down  the  river  by  the  annual  inundations  which  seldom 
fail  to  accompany  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice.  As  soon  as  a 
sufficient  number  of  trees  has  been  collected,  a  kind  of  log  hut 
is  constructed,  the  interstices  of  which  are  filled  up  with  moss 
and  clay,  and  for  the  sake  of  warmth  a  mound  of  earth  is  raised 
all  round  to  a  level  with  the  window.  These  huts  measure 
usually  from  two  to  three  fathoms  square,  and  one  and  a  half 
fathom  in  height.  In  one  corner  stands  the  tslmval  or  fire- 
hearth,  the  smoke  of  which  escapes  by  a  small  hole  to  the  roof : 
but,  in  a  few  houses,  luxury  has  extended  already  to  the  adop- 
tion of  regular  Russian  stoves  with  chimneys.  Low  and  incom- 
plete partitions  divide  the  sleeping-places  of  the  several  members 
of  the  family,  and  the  rest  of  the  dwelling  is  made  to  serve  all 
the  multifarious  offices  of  kitchen,  workshop,  sitting  and  recep- 
tion room,  broad  benches  being  placed  around,  on  which  reindeer 
skins  are  spread  as  a  ready  couch  for  an  occasional  guest.  Such 
a  hut  is  usually  provided  with  two  small  windows  of  ten  or  twelve 
inches  square,  through  which,  if  glazed,  a  scanty  light  would 
find  its  way,  but,  as  a  substitute  for  glass,  fish-bladders  are  used 
in  summer,  and  in  winter  plates  of  ice,  seldom  less  than  six 
inches  in  thickness,  through  which  only  a  very  feeble  portion  of 
daylight  is  able  to  pierce.  A  small  store-house  usually  stands 
by  the  side  of  the  dwelling,  and  the  roofs  of  both  are  fitted  up 
with  a  scaffolding  for  the  drying  of  fish. 


268  LIFE   IN   SIBERIA. 


Little  value  appears  to  be  set  on  cleanliness  of  any  kind. 
Public  baths  are  maintained  by  the  order  of  government,  though 
rarely  visited  by  the  inhabitants.  Linen  or  calico  is  worn  only  by 
the  more  wealthy,  and  among  them  the  use  of  it  is  chiefly  confined, 
to  the  women.  A  shirt  of  soft  reindeer  skin  with  the  fur  in- 
side, is  generally  worn  next  the  skin.  The  outer  side  of  this 
garment  is  dyed  with  a  red  colour  obtained  from  a  decoction  of 
alder  bark,  and  round  the  edges  and  the  sleeves  it  is  ornamented 
with  narrow  stripes  of  beaver  and  other  skin,  which  are  obtained 
at  high  prices  from  the  Tshuktshi.  The  trousers,  likewise  of 
reindeer  skin,  descend  half-way  down  the  leg,  and  over  the  whole 
comes  the  hamleya  of  thick  tanned  reindeer  skin,  without  the 
fur.  The  hamleya  soon  receives  a  dark  yellow  tint,  from  the 
smoky  atmosphere  by  which  the  wearer  is  almost  surrounded. 
The  above  constitutes  the  home  costume ;  but  when  the  Kolym- 
skite  dandy  ventures  abroad  he  takes  care  to  array  himself  in 
various  other  descriptions  of  fur. 

The  best  friend  of  man  in  almost  every  clime  is  the  dog,  but 
in  northern  Siberia  existence  would  scarcely  be  possible  without 
the  aid  of  this  invaluable  animal.  All  along  the  Arctic  Ocean 
the  dog  is  almost  the  only  beast  of  burden.  He  is  harnessed  to 
the  light  sledge,  or  narte,  which  will  carry  no  inconsiderable 
load,  and  in  which  during  winter,  the  natives  perform  jour- 
nies  of  incredible  length.  The  Siberian  dog  bears  a  strong 
resemblance  to  the  wolf.  He  has  a  long  pointed  snout,  sharp 
upright  ears,  and  a  long  bushy  tail.  Some  of  them  have  short 
hair,  others  a  tolerably  thick  fur,  and  they  are  met  with  of  all 
imaginable  colours.  Their  size  also  differs  very  much,  but  a  dog 
is  not  thought  fit  for  the  sledge  if  less  than  one  arshin  and  two 
wershok  high,  and  one  arshin  and  five  wershok  long.  Their 
barking  resembles  the  howling  of  a  wolf.  They  always  remain 
in  the  open  air.  In  summer  they  dig  holes  in  the  frozen  earth 
to  cool  themselves,  and  sometimes  they  will  spend  the  whole  day 
in  the  water  to  escape  from  the  persecution  of  the  gnats. 
Against  the  intense  cold  of  winter  they  seek  shelter  by  burying' 
themselves  under  the  snow,  where  they  lie  rolled  up  with  the 


itiiiii 


v.i 


LIFE    IX    SIBERIA.  271 


snout  covered  by  the  bushy  tail.  Of  the  cubs,  the  males  only 
iiYf  u>u;i]ly  kc'pt,  the  females  are  mostly  drowned,  only  one  or 
two  L^^ing  entertained  by  each  father  of  a  family  to  preserve  the 
breed.  The  rearing  of  these  dogs  forms  an  important  occupa- 
tion, and  requires  no  little  skill  and  judgment.  A  dog  may  be 
put  to  the  sledge  when  a  year  old,  but  cannot  be  subjected  to 
hard  work  before  his  third  winter.  The  team  of  a  sledge  seldom 
consists  of  less  than  twelve  of  these  dogs,  of  whom  one  is  used 
as  a  leader,  upon  whose  breeding  and  docility  the  safety  of  the 
whole  party  depends.  No  dog  must  be  used  as  a  leader  unless 
lie  be  perfectly  obedient  to  the  voice  of  his  master,  nor  unless 
the  latter  be  certain  that  the  'animal  vrill  not  be  diverted  one 
moment  from  his  course  by  the  scent  of  any  kind  of  game. 
This  last  point  is  one  of  the  highest  importance,  and  if  the  dog 
has  not  been  well  broken  in,  but  turns  to  the  right  or  left,  the 
rest  of  the  dogs  will  immediately  join  in  the  pursuit,  when  the 
sledge  is  of  course  overturued,  and  the  whole  pack  continue  the 
chase  until,  some  natural  obstacle  intervene  to  arrest  their  course. 
A  well-taught  leader,  on  the  other  hand,  not  only  will  not  allow 
himself  to  be  seduced  from  his  duty,  but  will  often  display  the 
most  astonishing  tact  in  preventing  the  rest  of  the  team  from 
yielding  to  their  natural  instinct.  On  the  boundless  tundra 
during  a  dark  night,  while  the  surrounding  atmosphere  is  ob- 
scured by  the  falling  snow,  it  is  to  the  intelligence  of  his  leading 
dog  that  the  traveller  is  constantly  indebted  for  his  preservation. 
If  the  animal  has  once  Jaeen  the  same  road  before,  he  never  fails 
to  discover  the  customary  halting-place,  though  the  hut  may 
have  been  completely  buried  under  the  drifting  snow.  Suddenly 
the  dog  will  remain  motionless  upon  the  trackless  and  unbroken 
surface,  and  by  the  friendly  wagging  of  his  tail  announce  to  his 
master  that  he  need  only  fall  to  work  with  his  snow-shovel  to 
find  the  door  of  the  hut  that  oflfers  him  a  warm  lodging  for  the 
night.  The  snow-shovel  on  these  winter  excursions  appears  to  be 
an  appendage  without  which  no  traveller  ventures  upon  a 
journey. 

In  summer  the  dog  is  no  less  serviceable  than  in  winter.     As 


272  LIFE    IN    SIBERIA. 


in  the  one  season  he  is  yoked  to  the  sledge,  so  in  the  other  he  is 
employed  to  draw  the  canoe  up  against  the  stream,  and  here  they 
display  their  sagacity  in  an  equally  surprising  manner.  At  a 
word,  they  halt,  or  where  an  opposing  rock  bars  their  progress  on 
the  one  side,  they  will  plunge  into  the  water,  swim  across  the 
river,  and  resume  their  course  along  the  opposite  bank.  In 
short,  the  dog  is  as  indispensable  to  the  Siberian  settler,  as 
the  tame  reindeer  to  the  Laplander.  The  mutual  attachment 
between  the  Siberian  and  his  dog  is  in  proportion  to  their  mutual 
dependance  on  each  other.  M.  Von  Wrangel  relates  remarkable 
instances  of  the  extent  to  which  he  has  seen  some  of  the  people 
carry  their  fondness  for  dogs.  In  1821  an  epidemic  disease 
broke  out  among  the  dogs  in  Siberia,  and  carried  off  many  thou- 
sands of  them. 

"  A  Yukaheer  family  had  lost  the  whole  of  the  twenty  dogs 
of  which  they  had  recently  been  possessed,  and  two  newly-born 
cubs  were  all  that  remained.  As  these  animals  were  still  blind, 
and  without  a  mother's  care,  it  scarcely  appeared  possible  to  pre- 
serve them.  The  Yukaheer's  wife,  to  save  the  last  remnant  of 
the  wealth  of  her  house,  resolved  that  the  two  dogs  should  share 
the  milk  of  her  breast  with  her  own  child.  She  was  rewarded. 
The  two  adopted  sucklings  throve  wonderfully,  and  became  the 
ancestors  of  a  new  and  vigorous  race  of  dogs." 

The  sufferings  of  the  poor  inhabitants,  in  consequence  of  the 
loss  of  the  dogs,  through  the  epidemic  malady  that  raged  in 
1821  and  1822,  were  dreadful  in  the  extreme.  Yet  will  it  be 
believed,  that  an  order  was  once  actually  issued  by  the  govern- 
ment at  St.  Petersburg,  to  destroy  all  the  dogs  throughout  the 
north  of  Siberia,  "on  account  of  their  consuming  such  quantities 
of  provisions,  and  thereby  occasioning  such  frequent  famines." 
The  order  was  not  executed,  because  it  would  have  required  the 
whole  Russian  army  to  enforce  the  command,  and  after  a  while 
means  were  found  to  enlighten  the  rulers  upon  the  absurd  ty- 
ranny of  their  proposed  "  reform."  Yet  many  underwent  the 
punishment  of  the  knout  for  non-compliance. 


•'Ur/-". 


THE   AVALANCHE, 


THE  AVALANCHE. 

A  SMALL  cluster  of  houses,  at  a  place  called  Bergemolctto, 
aoar  Demoute,  in  the  upper  valley  of  Stura,  in  Switzerland,  was 
on  the  19th  of  March,  1755,  entirely  overwhelmed  by  two  vast 
bodies  of  snow,  that  tumbled  down  from  a  neighbouring  moun- 
tain. All  the  inhabitants  were  then  within  doors  except  one 
Joseph  Ilochia,  and  his  son,  a  lad  of  fifteen,  who  were  on  the  roof 
of  their  house  clearing  away  the  snov/,  which  had  fallen  for 
three  days  incessantly.  A  priest  going  by  to  mass,  advised 
them  to  come  down,  having  just  before  observed  a  body  of  snow 
tumbling  from  the  mountain  towards  them.  The  man  descended 
with  great  preciptation,  and  fled  with  his  son,  he  knew  not 
whither ;  but  scarce  had  he  gone  thirty  or  forty  steps,  before 
his  son,  who  followed  him,  fell  down ;  on  which  looking  back, 
he  saw  his  own  and  his  neighbours'  houses,  in  which  were 
weuty-two  persons  in  all,  covered  with  a  high  mountain  of 
snow.  He  lifted  up  his  son,  and  reflecting  that  his  wife, 
his  sister,  two  children,  and  all  his  effects  were  thus  buried,  he 
fainted  away ;  but,  soon  reviving,  got  safe  into  a  friend's  house 
at  some  distance. 

Five  days  after,  Joseph  being  perfectly  recovered,  got  upon 
the  snow  with  his  son,  and  two  of  his  wife's  brothers,  to  try  if 
be  could  find  the  exact  place  where  his  house  stood ;  but  after 
many  openings  made  in  the  snow,  they  could  not  discover  it. 
The  month  of  April  proving  hot,  and  the  snow  beginning  to 
soften,  he  again  used  his  utmost  endeavours  to  recover  his  effects, 
and  to  bury,  as  he  thought,  the  remain.s  of  his  fjimily.  He  made 
new  openings,  and  threw  in  earth,  to  melt  the  snow,  which  on  the 
?-4th  of  April   was  greatly  diminished.     He  broke  through  ice 

(:^T5) 


276  ' THE   AVALANCHE. 


six  English  feet  thick,  with  iron  bars,  thrust  down  a  long  pole, 
and  touched  the  ground,  but  evening  coming  on,  he  desisted. 

His  wife's  mother,  who  lived  at  Demonte,  dreamed  that  night 
that  his  sister  was  still  alive,  and  begged  him  to  help  her;  the 
man,  aifected  by  his  dream,  rose  early  in  the  morning  and  went 
to  Bergemolette,  where  Joseph  was  ;  and  after  resting  himself  a 
little,  went  with  him  to  work  upon  the  snow,  where  they  made 
another  opening,  which  led  them  to  the  house  they  searched  for; 
but  finding  no  dead  bodies  in  its  ruins,  they  sought  for  the 
stable,  which  was  about  two  hundred  and  forty  English  feet  dis- 
tant, which,  having  found,  they  heard  a  cry  of  "  Help,  my  dear 
brother."  Being  greatly  surprised,  as  well  as  encouraged  by 
these  words,  they  laboured  with  all  diligence  till  they  had  made 
a  large  opening,  through  which  the  brother  who  had  the  dream 
immediately  went  down,  where  the  sister  with  agonizing  and 
feeble  voice  told  him,  "  I  have  always  trusted  to  God  and  you, 
that  you  would  not  forsake  me."  The  other  brother  and  the 
husband  then  went  down,  and  found  still  alive  the  wife  about 
forty-five,  the  sister  about  thirty-five,  and  a  daughter  about 
thirteen  years  old.  These  they  raised  on  their  shoulders  to  men 
above,  who  pulled  them  up  as  if  from  the  grave,  and  carried 
them  to  a  neighbouring  house  :  they  were  unable  to  walk,  and 
so  wasted  that  they  appeared  like  mere  skeletons.  They  were 
immediately  put  to  bed,  and  gruel  of  rye  flour  and  a  little  butter 
was  given  to  recover  them.  Some  days  after,  the  intendant  came 
to  see  them,  and  found  the  wife  still  unable  to  rise  from  bed  or 
use  her  feet,  from  the  intense  cold  she  had  endured,  and  the 
uneasy  posture  she  had  been  in.  The  sister,  whose  legs  had 
been  bathed  with  hot  wine,  could  walk  with  difficulty,  and  the 
daughter  needed  no  further  remedies. 

On  the  intendant's  interrogating  the  women,  they  told  him, 
that  on  the  morning  of  the  19th  of  March,  they  Vv'cre  in  tlie 
stable  with  a  boy  of  six  years  old,  and  a  girl  about  thirteen  ;  in 
the  same  stable  were  six  goats,  one  of  which  having  brought 
forth  two  dead  kids  the  night  before,  they  went  to  carry  her  a 
small  vessel  of  rye-flour  gruel ;  there  was  also  an   ass  and   five 


THE   AVALANCUE.  277 


or  six  fowls.  They  were  sheltering  themselves  in  a  warm  corner 
of  the  stable  till  the  church-bell  should  ring,  intending  to  attend 
the  service.  The  wife  related,  that  wanting  to  go  out  to  the  stable 
to  kindle  a  fire  in  the  house  for  her  husband,  who  was  clearing 
away  the  snow  from  the  top  of  it,  she  perceived  a  mass  of  snow 
breaking  down  towards  the  east,  upon  which  she  went  back  into 
the  stable,  shut  the  door,  and  told  her  sister  of  it.  In  less  than 
three  minutes  they  heard  the  roof  break  over  their  heads,  and 
also  part  of  the  ceiling.  The  sister  advised  to  get  into  the  rack 
and  manger,  which  they  did.  The  ass  was  tied  to  the  manger, 
but  got.  loose  by  kicking  and  struggling,  and  threw  down  the 
little  vessel,  which  they  found,  and  afterwards  used  to.  hold  the 
melted  snow,  which  served  them  for  drink. 

Very  fortunately  the  manger  was  under  the  main  prop  of  the 
stable,  and  so  resisted  the  weight  of  the  snow.  Their  first  care 
was  to  know  what  they  had  to  eat.  The  sister  said  she  had  fif- 
teen chestnuts  in  her  pocket;  the  children  said  they  had  break- 
fasted, and  should  want  no  more  that  day.  They  remembered 
that  there  were  thirty-six  or  forty  cakes  in  a  place  near  the 
stable,  and  endeavoured  to  get  at  them,  but  were  not  able  for 
the  snow.  They  called  often  for  help,  but  were  heard  by  none. 
The  sister  gave  two  chestnuts  to  the  wife,  and  ate  two  herself, 
and  they  drank  some  snow  water.  The  ass  was  restless,  and  the 
goats  kept  bleating  for  some  days ;  after  which  they  heard  no 
more  of  them.  Two  of  the  goats,  however,  being  left  alive,  and 
near  the  manger,  they  felt  them,  and  found  that  one  of  them 
was  big,  and  would  kid,  as  they  recollected,  about  the  middle  of 
April  J  the  other  gave  milk,  wherewith  they  preserved  their 
.  lives.  During  all  this  time  they  saw  not  one  ray  of  light,  yet 
for  about  twenty  days  they  had  some  notice  of  night  and  day 
from  the  crowing  of  the  fowls,  till  they  died. 

The  second  day,  being  very  hungry,  they  ate  all  the  chestnuts, 
and  drank  what  milk  the  goat  yielded,  being  very  near  two 
pounds  a-day  at  first,  but  it#oon  decreased.  The  third  day  they 
attempted  again,  but  in  vain,  to  get  at  the  cakes ;  so  resolved  to 
take  all  possible  care  to  feed  the  goats;  but  jast  above  the  man 

24 


278  THE    AVALAN'OHE. 


ger,  -was  a  hay-loft,  whence  through  a  hole,  the  sister  pulled 
down  hay  into  the  rack,  and  gave  it  to  the  goats  as  long  as  she 
could  roach  it,  and  then,  when  it  was  beyond  her  reach,  the  goata 
climbed  upon  her  shoulders,  and  reached  it  themselves.  On  the 
sixth  day  the  boy  sickened,  and  six  days  after  desired  his  mother, 
who  all  this  time  had  held  him  in  her  lap,  to  lay  him  at  his 
length  in  the  manger.  She  did  so,  and  taking  him  by  the  hand, 
f'jlt  it  was  very  cold;  she  then  put  her  hand  to  his  mouth,  and 
finding  that  cold  likewise,  she  gave  him  a  little  milk  :  the  boy 
then  cried,  ''  Oh,  my  father  is  in  the  sno-w  I  Oh  father,  father  !" 
and  then  expired. 

In  the  mean  while,  the  goat's  milk  diminiished  daily,  and  the 
fowls  soon  after  dying,  they  could  not  longer  distinguish  night 
from  day;  but  according  to  their  reckoning,  the  time  was  near 
when  the  other  goat  should  kid,  which  at  length  they  knew  was 
come,  by  its  cries  ;  the  sister  held  it,  and  they  killed  the  kid,  to 
save  the  milk  for  their  own  subsistence  :  so  they  found  that  the 
middle  of  April  was  come.  Whenever  they  called  the  goat  it 
would  come  and  lick  their  faces  and  hands,  and  gave  them  every 
day  two  pounds  of  milk,  on  which  account  they  long  afterv>-ard3 
bore  the  poor  creature  a  great  affection. 

They  said  that  during  all  this  time  hunger  gave  them  but 
little  uneasiness,  except  for  thc/irst  five  or  six  days  ;  and  their 
greatest  pain  was  from  the  extreme  coldness  of  the  melted  snow 
water,  which  fell  on  them  ;  from  the  smell  of  the  dead  ass,  goats, 
fowls,  &;c. ;  but  more  than  all,  from  the  very  uneasy  posture  they 
wvva  confined  to,  the  manger  in  which  they  sat  squatting  against 
the  wall,  being  no  more  than  three  feet  four  inches  broad. 

This  interesting  case  of  overwhelming  by  an  avalanche,  which* 
has  been  frequently  printed,  is  not  solitary  in  the  annals  of 
Switzerland.  Instances  of  a  similar  nature,  though  more  disastrous 
in  causing  loss  of  life,  are  of  frequent  occi.rrerice.  A  case  of 
overwhelming,  attended  with  circumstances  very  closely  re- 
sembling those  in  the  above  narij^tive,  happened  as  lately  as 
the  spring  of  1818.  The  village  of  La  C  jlle,  in  the  lower  Alps, 
was  covered  by  an  avalanche,  which  buried  one  of  the   houses 


THE   AVALANCHE.  279 


for  a  period  of  twenty-three  days.  At  the  end  of  that  period, 
the  villagers  gained  access  to  the  house  by  digging  away  the 
snow,  when  a  man  and  a  young  girl  were  found  in  it  alive.  By 
a  most  fortunate  circumstuuce,  these  two  persons,  at  the  time  of 
the  fall,  were  together  in  a  part  of  the  dwelling  in  which  were  all 
their  provisions,  with  a  cow  and  a  goat ;  and  the  milk  of  these 
animals,  which  they  fed  with  potatoes  and  bread,  distributed  with 
the  most  careful  economy,  had  sufficed  for  their  sustenance 
during  their  long  and  dismal  captivity. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  the  Swiss  hunters  engaged  in 
the  pursuit  of  the  chamois,  their  favourite  game,  fall  into 
chasms  and  crevices  of  the  rocks,  and  are  buried  by  the  snow, 
which  is  loosened  by  their  fall.  In  this  way  many  perish;  but 
there  are  instances  on  record  of  hunters  rescued  after  several 
days  of  confinement  in  a  horrid  prison  of  this  kind. 


THE  THREE  FRIENDS  OF  BRUSSELS. 

Some  years  ago  there  resided  at  Brussels  three  young  men, 
named  Charles  Darancourt,  Theodore  de  Valmont,  and  Ernest 
de  St.  Maure,  whose  friendship  for  each  other  was  of  so  ardent  a 
nature,  that  they  were  generally  known  by  the  title  of  the  In- 
separables. The  first  link  which  bound  these  youths  together  was 
the  remarkable  circumstance  of  their  having  been  all  three  born 
on  one  day,  and  being  all  of  good  families,  they  had  been  constant 
playfellows  iu  childhood,  had  studied  at  the  same  academy  as 
schoolboys,  and  had  become  members  of  the  same  university  in 
their  more  advanced  years.  Through  all  these  stages  of  their 
existence,  they  had  exhibited  the  same  unvarying  affection  for 
one  another,  and  had  displayed  great  similarity  in  their  tastes, 
feelings  and  pursuits.  On  reaching  manhood,  however,  circum- 
stances led  them,  as  might  be  expected,  to  adopt  different 
courses  of  life.  Darancourt,  the  son  of  an  eminent  physician, 
selected  the  profession  of  the  law  as  the  road  to  eminence  and 
respectability  in  the  world.  St.  Maure,  whose  father  was  a 
nobleman  of  decayed  fortunes,  chose  the  army  as  most  suitable 
to  his  birth  and  pretensions.  De  Valmout,  on  the  other  hand, 
preferred  the  captivating  study  of  letters  and  the  fine  arts  to  the 
pursuit  of  any  positive  profession :  and  the  circumstances  of  his 
father,  a  retired  colonel  of  engineers,  enabled  the  young  man,  for 
the  time  at  least,  to  indulge  his  tastes  in  this  respect. 

Ernest  de  St.  Maure,  at  the  period  when  this  narrative  takes  its 
date,  had  not  yet  joined  the  army,  but  the  imperial  mandate  (for 
Brussels  was  then  within  the  dominions  of  Napoleon)  was  looked 
for  daily,  and  Count  de  St.  Maure  and  his  lady  were  sadly  prepar- 
ing their  minds  for  j)arting  with  their  only  and  beloved  son.  At  this 
time  it  was,  that  Charles  Darancourt,  who  had  been  recently  ad- 
(280) 


THE   TIIllEE   FRIENDS   OF   BRUSSELS.  281 


niittcd  a  member  of  the  masonic  fraternity,  took  an  opportunity 
of  suggesting  to  young  St.  Maure  the  propriety  of  entering  the 
same  society.  Daranoourt's  counsel  was  founded  on  certain 
stories  told  of  soldiers  having  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy, 
and  having  been  saved  by  discovering  a  brother  mason  in  some 
of  the  captors.  "  Now  who  knows/'  cried  the  young  barrister, 
with  the  ardour  of  friendship,  "  but  you,  St.  Maure,  may  be 
thrown  into  a  similar  situation,  and  may  escape  by  the  like 
means  !"  Though  disposed  to  look  upon  the  mystery  of  masonry  as 
a  useless  mummery,  St.  Maure  allowed  himself  to  be  persuaded 
by  his  friend,  and  promised  to  undergo  initiation  at  an  early  day. 
At  the  same  time  he  would  consent  only  on  condition  of  Daran- 
court  himself  acting  as  sole  initiator,  which  the  barrister,  however 
irregular  the  proceedings  might  be,  professed  his  willingness  to 
undertake. 

During  the  Sunday  immed"ately  following  the  day  on  which 
this  conversation  took  jilace,  (_'ount  de  St.  3Iaure's  house  was  ob- 
served to  be  shut  up  by  the  neighbours.  None  of  the  inmates, 
at  least,  were  seen  to  issue  fiom  it,  though  they  had  ever  been 
remarkable  for  their  punctuality  in  attendance  on  the  services  of 
the  church.  The  neighbours,  however,  merely  concluded  some  of 
them  to  be  ill.  But  about  eia;ht  o'clock  in  the  evcnintr,  Charles 
Darancourt  andThcodore  de  Valmont  called,  in  order  to  spend  a 
siicial  hour  with  the  faniil}-.  Their  repeated  knockings  at  the  door 
remaining  unanswered,  they  at  length  alarmed  the  neighbourhood. 
The  door  was  burst  open,  and  to  the  horror  of  the  spectators,  four 
murdered  bodies  were  found  in  the  various  bedrooms.  The 
corpses,  whose  throats  were  shockingly  cut,  were  those  of  the 
Count  de  St.  Maure,  his  lady,  and  their  two  servants.  It  was 
also  found  that  a  desk  had  been  broken  open,  and  plundered  of 
valuable  jewels,  known  to  have  been  there.  On  this  appalling 
discovery,  Darancourt,  whose  friendship  for  the  family  was  well 
known,  appeared  at  first  paralyzed  with  grief.  When  he  re- 
covered from  his  trance-like  stupor,  he  rushed  from  the  house, 
exclaiming,  ''  My  friend  !  my  dear  Ernest !  Where  is  my  poor 
Ci-iend  ?"     This  exclamation  called  the  minds  of  the  spectators 

24* 


282  THE   THREE   FRIENDS   OF   BRUSSELS. 


for  the  first  time,  to  the  circumstance  of  young  St.  Maure's  ab- 
sence. The  authorities  were  speedily  called  to  the  spot,  and, 
among  other  steps  taken,  a  search  was  instituted  for  Ernest  de 
St.  Maure.  De  Valmont,  who  retained  much  more  presence  of 
mind  than  Darancourt  exhibited,  conducted  in  person  the  search 
for  Ernest.  But  the  whole  of  Brussels  was  examined  in  vain. 
The  young  man  was  to  be  seen  nowhere. 

At  the  solemn  investigation  which  took  place  into  the  whole  of 
this  tragic  aifair,  circumstances  came  out  which  tended  strongly  to 
fix  the  guilt  of  parricide  on  the  missing  youth.  A  pen-knife  marked 
with  his  initials,  was  found  near  the  scene  of  slaughter,  covered 
with  blood.  This  to  all  appearance  was  the  instrument  with 
which  the  murders  had  been  committed.  Rewards  were  offered 
for  the  apprehension  of  young  St.  Maure,  and  in  the  estimation 
of  all  men  he  was  accounted  a  pairicide,  until  on  the  sixth 
morning  after  the  murders,  a  new  tirn  was  given  to  the  affair 
by  the  discovery  of  the  youth's  body  in  a  stagnant  well,  in  the 
outskirts  of  the  city.  At  iir^t,  inde<  d,  as  no  wound  was  seen 
on  the  body,  it  was  only  thougbt  that  he  bad  added  self-destruc- 
tion to  his  other  crimes,  but  on  a  more  minute  examination,  a 
small  puncture  was  detected  on  the  breast,  immediately  over  the 
heart.  This  had  well  nigh  been  passed  over  as  a  trifling  and 
accidental  scratch.  At  the  urgent  entreaty  of  one  surgeon, 
however,  the  chest  was  tb-  i  lughly  laid  open,  when  it  was  found 
that  the  heart  had  been  pierced  to  its  centre  by  a  sharp  instru- 
ment of  exceeding  minuteness,  in  a  direct  line  with  the  external 
puncture.  This  obviously  had  been  the  cause  of  death.  As 
the  young  man  could  not  have  thus  slain  himself,  and  then  have 
conveyed  his  body  to  the  well,  it  became  apparent  to  all  that 
Ernest  de  St.  Maure  also  had  fallen  a  victim  to  the  same  conspi- 
racy which  had  overwhelmed  his  parents.  This,  at  all  cvcnt-i, 
was  the  strong  presumplion  ;  and  so  satisfactory  did  the  disco- 
very appear  to  the  authorities,  that  they  laid  the  son  in  the  same 
grave  with  his  parents,  thus  clearing  his  memory,  as  far  as  they 
could,  from  the  dreadful  charge  of  being  a  parricide.  The  argu- 
ments of  Charles  Darancourt  were  chiefly  instrumental  in   pro- 


THE   THREE    FRIENDS   OF    BRUSSELS.  283 


curing  this  justice  for  Ills  departed  friend.  The  young  advocate 
displayed  in  this  cause  all  the  warmth  of  sorrowing  affection, 
and  all  the  power  of  forensic  geniu?.  No  further  light  was  thrown 
on  the  fate  of  the  St.  Maures,  until  some  weeks  after  the  tragic 
event.  Several  papers  were  then  discovered  in  an  escritoire,  by 
the  late  count's  brother,  which  threw  a  dark  suspicion  on  one  of 
the  most  intimate  friends  of  the  deceased — Theodore  de  Valmont ! 
It  appeared  by  these  documents  that  de  Valmont  had  fixed  his 
affections  on  Emily  Duplcs.sis,  a  beautiful  young  lady,  who  re- 
turned his  passion,  in  spite  of  a  long  standing  quarrel  between 
their  families.  Ernest  de  St.  Maure  and  Charles  Darancourt  had 
been  de  Valmont's  only  confidants,  and  had  assisted  him  in  procur- 
ing intcrvievi's  v.'ith  the  object  of  his  affections.  Being  thus  oc- 
oasjinnally  bvoufrht  into  contact  with  the  young  lady,  Ernest  de 
>St.  Maurc  had  himself  been  inspired  with  a  deep  and  unhappy 
passion  for  Emily  Duplesrfis.  He  had  confessed  this  to  Darancourt, 
and  had  at  the  same  time  declared  his  resolution  to  root  it  out  of 
his  mind,  and  to  die  r.ithcr  than  injure  de  Valmont.  But  the 
passion  had  not  been  so  easily  overcome,  and  de  Valmont  had  at 
length  become  aware  of  the  truth.  This  led  to  a  series  of  letters 
between  him  and  St.  JMaure,  which  letters  were  now  discovered. 
In  some  passages  of  these,  de  Valmont  reasoned  with  Ernest  as 
with  a  brother  on  the  subject  of  his  misplaced  pas.sion,  while  in 
others  Theodore  used  language  that  now  bore  a  most  unfortunate 
aspect.  "  You  know  me  too  well,"  said  de  Valmont,  in  one 
letter,  "  not  to  feel  convinced,  that  independently  of  all  other  mo- 
tives, an  inmite  sonfic  of  what  is  due  to  my  own  honour  would 
urge  me  to  infiiot  the  most  ample  vengeance  on  the  head  of  him 
who  could  avail  himself  of  my  unbounded  confidence  to  estrange 
from  me  the  affections  of  my  adored  Emily."  These  and  other 
passages  of  the  discovered  correspondence  admitted  of  an  infer- 
ence so  unfiivourable  to  Theodore  de  Valmont,  that  the  authori- 
ties, on  having  the  letters  laid  before  them,  immediately  took 
him  into  custody. 

Charles  Darancourt  was  unremitting  in  his  attempts  to  sustain 
his  imprisoned  friend  under  the  heavy  infliction  of  such  a  charge 


284  THE   THREE   FRIENDS   OF   BRUSSELS, 


as  this.  To  Darancourt,  Theodore  confided  the  task  of  commu- 
nicating the  intelligence  of  this  accusation  to  Emily  Duplessis. 
The  young  lady  was  so  dreadfully  affected  as  to  sink  into  a  vio- 
lent fever,  during  the  ravings  of  which  she  revealed  to  her 
parents  the  fact  of  her  having  not  only  loved  de  Valmont,  but 
of  her  having  been  recently  united  to  him  by  a  private  marriage. 
This  information,  which  she  did  not  gainsay  on  recovering  par- 
tially from  her  illness,  had  the  effect  of  widening  the  circle  im- 
plicated in  these  dark  transactions,  since  the  parents  of  Emily 
had  the  grief  of  seeing  her  fate  bound  up  with  that  of  one  on  whom 
a  charge  rested  of  the  most  atrocious  kind.  Their  previous  hos- 
tility to  the  de  Valmonts,  the  parents  might  perhaps  have  readily 
got  over;  but  there  was  now  deep  disgrace  attending  any 
connection  with  the  very  name  of  de  Valmont.  The  discovery 
of  the  marriage  was  therefore  concealed. 

The  morning  allotted  for  de  Valmont's  trial  arrived.  The  offi- 
cers went  to  his  cell  to  remove  him,  but  lo  !  the  place  was  empty! 
The  prisoner  had  undermined  the  cell,  and  escaped  by  scaling 
the  prison  walls.  On  the  table  lay  a  letter  addressed  to  Made- 
moiselle Duplessis,  which  was  opened  by  the  authorities,  and  was 
found  to  contain  an  animated  and  solemn  assertion  of  the  writer's 
innocence.  But,  seeing  circumstances  to  bear  against  him,  he 
had  resolved  (the  letter  said)  to  take  the  only  visible  mode  of 
saving  his  life,  in  the  hope  of  one  day  proving  his  innocence  ; 
and  until  this  was  established,  he  would  never  return  (he  said) 
to  Brussels.  An  energetic  search  was  made  for  Theodore  de 
Valmont,  but  it  proved  fruitless. 

Thus  was -justice  again  baffled,  at  a  time  when  it  had  fixed,  in 
its  own  belief,  on  the  true  criminal.  But  Theodore's  letter, 
which  was  long  and  most  eloquently  pathetic,  made  a  deep  im- 
pression in  his  favour  on  many  persons,  and,  among  others,  on 
the  parents  of  his  wife,  Emily  Duplessis,  or  rather  de  Valmont. 
On  conversing  with  their  daughter,  they  moreover  learnt  that 
Theodore  had  been  visiting  Emily  on  the  night  of  the  murders, 
and  had  hurt  his  right  arm  in  crossing  the  garden  wall  of  her 
father's  house.     Not  knowing  that  Emily  in  her  illness  had  re- 


THE   TllKEE   FRIENDS   OF   BRUSSELS.  285 


vealed  the  marriage,  de  Valmonfc  would  not  betray  the  secret  and 
hence  his  confused  answers  when  questioned,  as  already  men- 
tioned. Knowing  these  things,  Emily's  parents  longed  for  Theo- 
dore's return,  which  might  now  have  been  comparatively  safe. 
liut  he  could  not  be  heard  of  any  where.  The  parents  now  con- 
sented to  the  open  acknowledgment  of  their  daughter's  marriage 
with  the  absent  Theodore,  which  consent  Emily  had  strong  reasons 
for  entrcatinsrfrom  them.    When  Theodore  had  been  absent  sevcni 

O 

months,  his  wife  gave  birth  to  a  son,  for  whom  Charles  Daran- 
court  stood  sponsor  at  the  font.  Darancourt,  on  this  occasion, 
after  pledging  to  the  mother  and  child,  called  on  the  guests  pre- 
sent to  join  him  in  drinking,  ''  To  the  happy  return  of  the  absent 
father,  and  may  his  innocence  soon  be  established  I"  Strange  to 
say,  this  wish  seemed  in  some  measure  fulfilled,  not  many  days 
after  its  utterance,  in  a  manner  that  deeply  affected  him  who 
uttered  it.  A  cart  was  stopped  one  night  at  the  city  barrier  by 
one  of  the  collectors  of  the  imposts.  No  contraband  goods  were 
found  in  the  cart,  but,  in  the  act  of  search,  a  small  box  fell  off, 
and  was  crushed  by  one  of  the  wheels.  The  collector  assisted  in 
gathering  up  its  contents,  and  while  doing  so,  picked  up  a  bril- 
liant) diamond  brooch.  The  collector  had  been  once  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Count  de  St.  Maure,  and  instantly  recognized  the 
brooch,  which  was  of  great  value,  as  having  belonged  to  that 
nobleman.  The  carter  was  taken  into  custody,  and,  on  examina- 
tion, stated  that  he  had  been  employed  by  a  gentleman  to  carry 
trunks  and  various  articles  of  furniture  to  a  country-house  about 
a  mile  distant  from  Brussels.  Being  asked  the  gentleman's 
name,  the  man  readily  gave  it  as  '*  Monsieur  Darancourt,  the 
younger,  residing  in  the  Grand  Square." 

Charles  Darancourt  was  ere  long,  as  his  friend  de  Valmont  had 
been  before  him,  consigned  to  a  prison  on  the  charge  of  murder- 
ing the  St.  Maures.  The  strange  fate  which  had  thus  caused  suspi- 
cion to  fall  on  the  very  dearest  friend  of  the  deceased,  made  the 
case  most  remarkable  in  the  eyes  of  all  men.  Charles  Daran- 
court was  brought  fairly  to  trial.  He  defended  himself  with 
equal  calmness  and   ability,  declaring   the   brooch  to  have  been 


286      THE  THREE  FRIENDS  OF  BRUSSELS. 


l^iven  to  bim  in  a  present  by  tbe  Count  de  St.  Maure.  On  tbo  otber 
band  the  collectoi'  proved-'that  the  count  had  ever  seemed  to  re- 
gard the  brooch  as  the  most  valuable  of  his  family  jewels,  and 
had  once  refused  it,  in  the  witness's  hearinir,  to  his  own  son. 
There  was,  on  the  very  face  of  it,  an  improbability  in  the  notion 
that  a  man  of  small  fortune,  like  the  count,  should  give  away  a 
jewel  of  such  value  as  a  mere  friendly  present  It  v/as  further 
proved  that  Earnest  de  St.  Maure  had  been  last  seen  entering  the 
pri.*onei-'s  house,  on  the  night  before  his  disappearance  j  and  on 
being  called  forward  to  t-ell  what  they  knew,  Charles  Darancourt's 
three  servants  were  found  to  have  been  all  sent  out  of  the  way, 
on  various  errands,  on  the  night  in  question.  A  chain  of  pre- 
sumptive evidence  of  this  nature  was  established  against  Daran- 
court,  and  in  despite  of  the  talent  with  which  he  defended 
himself,  he  was  condemned  to  die  for  the  murder  of  the  St. 
Maures. 

Charles  Darancourt  solemnly  protested  his  innocence,  and  con- 
tinued to  repeat  the  assertion  during  the  interval  spent  in  await- 
inij  the  fulillment  of  his  sentence. 

The  fatal  day  at  length  came,  and  the  prisoner  was  led  out  to 
the  scaiFold,  to  die  an  ignominious  death  in  presence  of  assembied 
thousands,  who  looked  on  with  strangely  mingled  feelings  of  pity 
and  satisfaction,  caused  by  the  ambiguous  and  mysterious  nature 
of  the  case.  The  majority  of- the  spectators  could  not  bring  their 
minds  to  believe  in  the  commission  of  such  wholesale  murders  by 
one  man,  and  that  man  an  ingenuous  youth  and  dear  friend  of 
the  sufferers.  But  the  decision  of  the  law,  though  it  could  not 
remove  doubts,  was  not  to  be  opposed.  When  all  was  ready  on 
the  scaffold,  and  eternity  immediately  before  him,  Charles  Daran- 
court  pulled  from  his  bosom  a  sealed  packet,  and  handed  it  to 
the  priest  in  attendance,  with  directions  that  it  should  be  given 
nfter  his  death  to  his  father.  The  fatal  cord  was  about  to  be 
fixed,  when  a  loud  shout  arose  from  the  populace,  and  the  crowd 
was  seen  opening  up  to  permit  the  passage  of  a  horseman,  accom- 
panied byseveral  soldiers.  "  A  respite  !"  was  the  cry.  The  popu- 
lace already  excited  by  this  event,  were  still  more  so,  when  they 


TUE   THREE   EIIIENDS   OF   BRUSSELS.  287 


beheld  the  horseman  spring  to  the  scaffold,  embrace  the  prisoner, 
and  then  advance  to  address  themselves.  It  was  Theodore  de 
Yulmout !  He  spoke  at  some  length  to  the  multitude,  telling 
them  that  on  hearing  of  Darancourt's  condemnation,  he  had  flown 
to  Paris,  and  had  detailed  the  whole  circumstances  to  the  empe- 
ror, who  had  been  thus  moved  to  grant  a  respite.  "I  knew  my 
own  innocence,"  continued  Theodore,  "  and  I  could  not  doubt 
that  my  beloved  friend  was  equally  innocent  with  myself.  Our 
intimacy  with  the  unfortunate  deceased  has  well  nigh  brought 
death  on  both  of  us,  for  that  intimacy  is  our  sole  crime.  The 
mystery  which  hangs  over  this  sad  stor}*;  heaven  will  clear  up  in 
its  own  good  time  !"  The  shouts  of  the  people  rose  joyfully  on 
the  air,  for  the  words  of  de  Valmont  carried  conviction  with 
Ihem. 

What  were  the  feelings  of  Charles  Darancourt  on  being  thus 
.Hatched  from  the  grave  ?  He  retained  all  his  calmness,  and 
Merely  uttered  a  few  broken  sentences,  expressive  of  gratitude  to 
heaven  for  his  liberation  from  the  charge  of  being  a  murderer 
and  a  robber.  He  then  turned  mildly  to  the  priest,  and  requested 
the  restoration  of  the  packet.  The  priest  was  about  to  comply, 
when  one  of  the  attendant  officers  snatched  it  from  the  holy 
father's  hands,  declaring  it  to  be  his  duty  to  retain  and  show  it 
to  his  superiors.  The  prisoner  quietly  remonstrated  against  this 
seizure  of  paj^ers  relating  only  to  private  family  affairs.  But  the  of- 
ficer was  obstinate.  Darancourt  and  de  Valmont  were  then  conveyed 
to  prison,  as  the  respite  ordered,  till  the  emperor's  will  should  be 
further  known.  On  reaching  prison,  Charles  Darancourt  imme- 
diately communicated  with  his  friends,  and  protested  anew  against 
the  seizure  of  his  papers.  The  authorities  did  not  listen  to  his 
request. 

Well  might  Darancourt  struggle  for  the  repossession  of  that 
fatal  packet!  Believing  death  inevitable,  Darancourt  had  there 
made  a  confession — and  what  a  confession  !  A  confession  of  five 
cool  and  deliberate  murders  effected  by  him  without  an  accem- 
plice ! 

The  following  is  an  abstract  of  that  paper's  contents  : — 


288  THE   THREE   FRIENDS   OF   BRUSSELS. 


"Having  formed  a  deep  attachment  to  Emily  Duplessis,  Daran- 
court  had  resolved  to  cut  off  both  de  Valmont  and  Ernest  de  St 
Maure,  as  obstacles  in  his  way.  Ernest  fell  first  into  his  power. 
This  victim  came  to  the  house  of  Darancourt  to  be  initiated 
into  the  mysteries  of  masonry.  Under  pretence  of  performing 
these,  Darancourt  had  contrived  to  bind  the  young  man  so  that 
he  could  stir  neither  hand  nor  foot,  and  had  then  opened  the  vic- 
tim's dress,  and  thrust  a  knitting-needle  between  the  ribs  and  the 
centre  of  the  heart !  Ernest  de  St.  Maure  died  instant!}-,  almost 
without  a  groan.  Taking  a  key,  by  which  the  deceased  let  him- 
self into  his  own  house  at  nights,  from  Ei'nest's  pocket,  and  also 
a  pen-knife,  Darancourt  then  carried  the  body  by  a  back  road  to 
a  neighbouring  well,  and  threw  it  in.  He  then  hurried  to  the 
Count  de  St.  Maure's  house,  let  himself  in,  and  murdered  the 
master  of  the  house,  his  wife,  and  his  two  domestics,  while  sleep- 
ing in  their  beds.  The  principal  motive  for  Darancourt's  enter- 
ing the  house  was  the  desire  to  gain  possession  of  a  bond  for 
5000  francs,  which,  out  of  his  slender  means,  the  count  had  lent 
the  young  lawyer  to  prosecute  his  studies.  The  murder  of  the 
servants,  and,  indeed,  of  the  other  victims  also,  was  committed 
lest  they  should  disturb  him  in  the  robbery  of  the  house,  which 
proved  a  temptation  too  strong  to  be  overcome  when  the  murderer 
found  the  chance  in  his  power.  Family  jewels  and  cash  to  a 
considerable  amount  were  the  price  of  his  guilt.  By  leaving  the 
pen-knife,  Darancourt  hoped  to  throw  suspicion  on  the  son  of  the 
count,  and  this  really  turned  out  as  he  had  anticipated,  though 
the  unexpected  opening  of  the  old  well  had  subverted  that  part 
of  the  expected  issue. 

This  fearful  revelation — from  the  murderer's  own  hand — filled 
the  minds  of  the  people  of  Brussels  with  the  deepest  horror. 
When  he  was  again  taken  to  the  scaffold,  it  was  amid  the  execra- 
tions of  the  multitude,  and  no  man's  pity  followed  the  wretch 
into  eternity.  His  crimes  had  been  committed  with  as  little  re- 
morse, and  under  as  unnatural  circumstances  as  any  that  ever 
disgraced  the  annals  of  mankind. 


iM^^^'^.-:^'^'/  V 


THE  WILD  BOAR  OF  THE  HARTZ. 

Upon  the  sides,  and  in  the  vicinity,  of  the  Hartz  mountains, 
in  Hanover,  Germany,  are  extensive  forests,  which  from  the 
earliest  time  have  been  the  haunts  of  the  boar,  the  bear  and  the 
wolf.  The  chase  of  the  former  has  always  been  preferred. 
Though  much  more  dangerous,  it  is  far  more  exciting  and  enno- 
bling. Princes,  nobles  and  peasants  have  been  enthusiastic  in 
this  pursuit,  and  even  at  this  day,  the  forest  resounds  with  the 
hunter's  horn  and  the  shouts  of  the  conqueror.  The  full  grown 
boar  is  ferocious  and  formidable.  His  strength  is  great,  and 
his  terrible  tusks  threaten  the  dogs  with  certain  death.  The 
lion,  in  the  Indian  jungle  is  scarcely  more  to  be  dreaded  than 
the  boar  at  bay. 

Upon  a  bright  morning  in  the  month  of  October,  17 — ,  the 
bustle  of  preparation,  was  heard  in  the  court-yard  of  the  castle 
of  Stolberg.  The  young  count,  Einrich,  had  given  orders  to 
get  every  thing  ready  for  a  hunting  expedition,  in  the  forests  of 
the  Hartz.  An  old  friend,  the  young  count  Ernest  of  Mans- 
feldt  had  arrived  at  the  castle,  and  knowing  his  affection  for 
wood  sports,  and  especially,  for  boar- hunting,  his  host  had  re- 
solved to  gratify  him  with  one  of  the  old-time,  rousing  hunts, 
with  dog  and  spear.  Upwards  of  thirty  of  the  tenants  of  the 
Stolberg  estate  were  collected  by  Eiurich's  steward,  Hans 
Wasser.  Rusty  bugles  were  produced  and  cleaned;  spears 
which  had  lain  by  for  a  hundred  years,  were  brightened  and  sharp- 
ened, and  a  fine  pack  of  dogs  bayed  impatient  for  the  sport.  A 
glorious  time  was  anticipated  by  the  young  noblemen.  We  have 
said  that  they  were  old  friends,  which  implies  that  it  was  a  deep 
gratification  to  be  in  each  other's  company.  Rumour  said  that  the 

25         '  (289) 


290  THE    WILD    BOAR   OF    THE    HARTZ. 


Countess  of  Stolberg,  Einricb's  young  and  beautiful  wife,  added 
much  to  the  attractions  which  the  plan  possessed  in  the  eyes  of 
Count  Ernest.  But  Kumour  catches  the  burden  of  every  breeze, 
and,  without  stopping  to  test  its  truth,  swallows  it  voraciously. 

Ernest  of  Mansfeldt  possessed  a  very  striking  personal  appear- 
ance. He  was  tall, — full  six  feet  in  height — and  well-propor- 
tioned. His  features  were  strongly  and  decidedly  marked.  His 
hair  was  black  and  curled,  his  complexion  rather  dark,  and  his 
eyes  gray,  and  beaming  with  intelligence.  The  general  expres- 
sion of  his  face  was  a  union  of  dignity  and  earnestness,  such  as 
ensures  obedience  from  the  mass.  But  in  conversation  his  fea- 
tures were  lighted  with  a  language,  which  anticipated  words  in 
conveying  meaning.  One  might  gather  from  his  usual  carriage 
that  he  was  a  man  to  be  loved  as  well  as  respected. 

Einrich  of  Stolberg  was  a  different  looking  personage.  He 
was  about  the  middle  height,  and  rather  burly.  His  features 
were  without  animation,  though  it  might  be  said  that  daring 
courage  was  in  his  firm-set  jaw  and  compressed  lips,  and  that  his 
deep  blue  eyes  had  much  of  feeling  in  them.  His  hair  was 
light  and  straight.  Conscious  of  being  the  chief  member  of  an 
ancient  and  illustrious  house,  he  bore  himself  haughtily,  and 
moved  among  his  retainers  with  such  dignity  as  rebuked  fami- 
liarity. The  particular  links  of  thought  and  feeling  which 
united  Einrich  to  Ernest,  it  would  be  difficult  to  trace.  Friend- 
ship very  often  springs  up  between  persons  of  diametrically  op- 
posite dispositions,  probably  because  each  feels  the  advantage  of 
some  check  upon  his  actions,  or  contradiction  of  his  opinions. 
Such  may  have  been  the  case  with  our  two  young  nobleman. 
They  agreed,  however,  in  love  of  the  chase,  and  all  kinds  of  manly 
exercise. 

Ernest  had  been  but  a  few  days  at  Stolberg  castle  before  the 
time  of  the  proposed  hunt.  In  that  period  his  attentions  to  the 
young  countess  had  been  of  a  character  that  might  have 
awakened  suspicion  in  the  breast  of  a  less  trustful  friend 
than  Einrich.  The  countess  was  enchanted  with  his  constant 
and  brilliant  conversation,  so  much  superior  to  that  of  her  hus- 


THE   WILD   BOAR  OF   THE   HARTZ.  291 


band.  She  seemed  to  forget  Einrich's  existence  wliile  Ernest 
was  near.  On  several  occasions  she  manifested  her  anxiety  for 
the  visitor,  and  her  recklessness  of  her  husband's  comfort. 
Ernest  had  repeatedly  spoken  to  Einrich  in  enthusiastic  praise 
of  the  beauty  and  wit  of  the  Countess.  Yet  the  young  husband 
•showed  no  signs  of  suspicion. 

The  horn  sounded  and  the  drawbridge  was  lowered  to  allow 
the  well-equipped  hunting  party  to  pass  out.  Einrich  was  already 
mounted,  but  Ernest  lingered  to  receive  the  anxious  injunctions  of 
the  Countess  to  be  careful  of  himself  in  the  wilds  of  the  Hartz. 
At  length,  when  Einrich  had  become  impatient,  Ernest  appeared, 
sprang  into  the  saddle,  and  rode  by  the  side  of  the  lord  of  the 
castle,  as  the  party  set  forward  for  the  forest. 

A  boar  was  soon  started,  and  men  and  dogs  broke  away  in  hot 
pursuit.  The  game  happened  to  be  young,  and  at  that  age  when 
it  is  most  difficult  to  capture.  A  long  chase  ensued,  and  all  en- 
gaged in  it  were  nearly  blown,  when  the  dogs  brought  the  boar 
to  bay  in  a  marsh.  He  fought  nobly  and  well.  One  dog  bit  the 
dust,  and  another  was  severely  wounded.  But  Ernest  and  Einrich 
were  soon  upon  the  beast  with  their  long  spears,  and  by  the  time 
the  whole  party  arrived  at  the  scene  of  action,  the  victory  was 
achieved,  and  the  boar  lay  dead.  The  retainers  carried  the 
animal  to  a  dry  place  in  the  forest,  which  was  clear  of  under- 
wood, and  all  were  soon  collected  around  a  glorious  fire.  The 
flesh  of  the  young  boar  is  sweet  and  delicate.  Every  part 
of  it  can  be  eaten.  While  the  head  alone  of  an  old  one  is  fit  for 
.the  stomach  of  man.  Our  hunters  had  brought  plenty  of  edi- 
bles and  drinkables  with  them.  These  were  spread  upon  the 
table-cloth  of  withered  leaves.  Slices  of  the  boar  were  broiled 
and  added  to  the  woodland  repast,  while  the  head  was  preserved 
for  a  feast  at  the  castle.  Ernest  was  merry,  and  joined  the  re- 
tainers of  Stolbcrg  in  their  song  and  toasts.  But  Einrich  was 
gloomy,  and  spoke  seldom.  To  the  raillery  of  his  guest  he  re- 
turned short  and  bad-humoured  replies.  What  can  be  the  reason  ? 
Passing  through  the  court-yard  just  before  starting  upon  the  hunt, 


292       THE  WILD  BOAR  OF  THE  HARTZ. 


lie  had  caught  the  whisperings  of  two  of  his  retainers,  which 
went  thus; — 

"  Hey-day  !  I  shouldn't  die  with  surprise  if  Count  Ernest 
should  become  chief  man  within  these  walls  before  long,"  said 
one. 

"  I  think  Count  Einrich  might  stay  upon  the  hunt  altogether, 
and  not  grieve  his  lady  much,''  said  the  other. 

These  words  had  fallen  upon  Einrich's  ears  like  the  knell  of 
earthly  bliss.  Friendship  paled,  and  suspicion  and  revenge  began 
to  shed  their  baleful  light  within  him.  His  eyes  seemed  to  be 
opened  to  a  view  of  crime'  of  which  he  had  not  before  dreamed. 
After  a  severe  conflict,  he  resolved  to  observe  further  before  en- 
tertaining any  bad  opinion  of  his  beautiful  wife  and  his  much 
respected  friend.  But  he  continued  gloomy  during  the  day. 
After  the  repast  was  finished,  the  party  set  out  for  the  castle, 
from  which  they  had  wandered  many  miles.  A  fine  black  bear 
was  killed  on  the  way  through  the  woods,  but  no  other  incident 
occurred  until  the  hunters  reached  the  castle,  which  was  about 
sunset.  Upon  the  whole,  the  day's  sport  had  been  satisfactory, 
but  Einrich  did  not  rejoice  at  his  success.  Sleepless  suspicion 
had  seized  his  soul,  and  there  was  no  more  joy  for  him.  Pro- 
fessing to  be  unwell,  he  retired  to  his  chamber.  The  Countess 
did  not  seem  very  anxious  concerning  him,  though  she  said  she 
was  sorry.  Nor  did  she  inquire  in  regard  to  his  ailment  in  the 
course  of  the  evening.  This  indifi'erence,  Einrich  noted  and 
magnified. 

The  next  day  Einrich  kept  his  chamber.  Ernest  went  up 
early  to  see  him,  but  did  not  remain  long,  Einrich  had  no  heart 
for  conversation  with  him,  and  was  best  satisfied  when  alone. 
Soon  after  Ernest  had  retired,  the  Countess  came  with  a  brow 
of  anxiety,  to  ascertain  if  her  lord  was  very  "  ill."  A  short 
conversation  satisfied  her  that  ho  was  not,  and  she  descended  to 
be  "  company  for  Ernest."  But  alas  !  she  left  a  fatal  piece  of 
evidence  behind.  A  letter  had  dropped  from  her  bosom  upon 
the  floor  of  Einrich's  chamber.  Her  husband  picked  it  up,  and 
without  consideration  of  impropriety  read  it.     It  was  signed  by 


BEAR  nUNTINa. 


P.  292. 


THE   T7ILD   EOAR   OF   THE   IIARTZ.  293 


the  Count  of  Mansfeklt,  and  besides  being  full  of  expressions  of 
devoted  affection  and  of  regrets  that  fate  bad  assigned  her  to  an- 
other, and  to  one  who  was  too  dull  to  appreciate  such  a  jewel, 
proposed  an  elopement.  And  this  had  fallen  from  the  bosom 
of  the  Countess — the  young,  beautiful  and  almost  worshipped  wife 
of  the  lord  of  Stolberg.  Einrich  read  and  was  calm.  Not  a  sin- 
gle expression  of  indignation  or  rage  passed  his  lips.  They  were 
pressed  together  like  clasps  of  steel,  while  over  his  face  spread  a 
paleness  like  that  on  the  face  of  death.  Such  calmness  is  more 
dreadful  than  the  fiercest  storm  of  anger.  For  then,  passion  in- 
stead of  being  asleep,  is  keenly  at  work,  contriving  his  most  ter- 
rible plans,  and  there  is  no  power  on  earth  to  daunt  or  divert  him 
from  his  deadly  purpose.  Einrich  stood  with  eyes  fixed  upon, 
the  floor,  for  full  fifteen  minutes.  Then  he  stamped  his  foot,  and 
almost  hissed,  "  It  shall  be  so  !"  Tie  then  descended  to  his  wife 
and  Count  Ernest,  expressed  himself  fully  i-ecovered,  and  as- 
sumed the  smile  and  cheerful  tone  of  gaiety. 

The  Countess  had  not  misled  the  letter  she  had  lost,  and  had 
no  thought  of  a  discovery.  How  tranj;parcnt  to  the  eyes  of  her 
husband  was  her  conduct  and  that  of  Ernest  now.  Little  atten- 
tions, nothing  in  themselves,  but  valuable,  like  certain  weeds, 
for  indicating  the  kind  of  soil  from  which  they  sprung,  were 
given  and  received,  and  could  not  be  mistaken.  Once  or  twice, 
a  gloomy  shade  passed  over  the  face  of  Einrich,  and  he  bit  his 
lips  till  the  blood  came.  But  the  storm  was  checked  and  laid. 
In  the  midst  of  the  conversation,  Einrich  proposed  another  hunt 
for  the  next  day.  Ernest  wished  to  repose,  but  knew  not  how, 
without  exciting  su.^picion.  After  some  opposition  from  the 
Countess,  it  was  settled  that  on  the  next  moruins:,  the  two  voun" 
noblemen  and  the  chief  retainers  of  the  castle  should  start  upon 
another  boar-hunt  in  the  forests  of  the  Hartz. 

The  morning  came,  and  nearly  the  same  party  as  before,  col- 
lected in  the  court  yard  of  the  castle.  The  Count  of  Mansfeldt 
lingered  to  converse  with  the  lovely  Countess,  and  Einrich 
awaited  his  coming  without  giving  any  signs  of  impatience.  The 
party  at  length  set  forth.     The  day  was  cloudy,  and  a  storm  was 

25* 


294  THE   T7ILD   BOAR    OF   THE   HARTZ. 


even  threatened.  But  this  could  not  deter  the  lovers  of  sport 
from  the  chase.  They  entered  the  forest,  and  the  search  for  game 
was  keen.  At  length  the  dogs  started  an  old  boar,  and  all  were 
soon  after  him,  in  full  cry.  Einrich  knew  the  furious  beast 
would  not  run  far,  and  also  knew  a  by-path,  by  pursuing  which 
he  might  be  beaded.  Ernest  and  he  followed  this  path,  while 
the  others  followed  the  dogs.  They  reached  the  end  of  it,  and 
had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  that  the  boar  had  not  yet  passed 
that  point.  Presently  he  was  seen  rushing  through  the  forest 
towards  the  two  young  noblemen.  "Traitor!  receive  your 
reward  I"  escaped  from  the  lips  of  Einrich,  as  his  dagger 
pierced  the  back  of  Ernest  of  Mansfeldt,  and  the  wounded  man 
fell  from  his  horse  directly  in  the  path  of  the  wild  boar.  The 
furious  animal,  mistaking  Ernest's  death  struggles  for  manifesta- 
tions of  hostility,  rushed  upon  his  prostrate  form,  and  gored  him 
horribly  in  the  breast  and  face.  The  dogs  were  soon  upon  the 
beast,  and  after  a  fierce  struggle,  he  was  slain.  Einrich  engaged  in 
the  battle,  and  seemed  making  desperate  efforts  to  save  the  fallen 
count.  When  the  boar  was  slain,  a  mournful  group  stood  round 
the  body  of  the  dead  nobleman.  Many  conjectures  as  to  the 
manner  in  which  the  boar  had  gained  access  to  Ernest,  were 
made,  and  all  eyes  were  turned  to  Einrich  for  reply.  But  he 
stood,  intently  gazing  upon  his  victim  and  said  nothing.  Plis 
silence  was  attributed  to  the  extreme  grief  at  the  sudden  and  ter- 
rible character  of  the  disaster,  and  inquiry  was  relinquished.  A 
litter  was  made  of  boughs,  and  the  body  of  the  Count  of  Mans- 
fAdt  placed  upon  it,  and  borne  towards  the  castle.  The  boar  was 
carried  in  the  rear  of  the  mournful  procession.  Few  words  were 
spoken.  As  the  party  neared  the  castle,  Einrich,  leaving  direc- 
tions concerning  the  disposition  of  the  body  in  a  certain  chamber, 
r.-'do  ahead  to  break  the  disaster  to  his  wife;  so  he  said. 

The  Countess  was  in  the  hall  when  her  husband  entered  His 
paleness  and  hurried  manner  alarmed  her,  and  she  inquired  the 
reason  of  his  hasty  return,  not  forgetting  to  interpolate  the  ques- 
tion, where  is  the  Count  of  Mansfeldt?  Einrich  immediately 
informed  her  that  their  guest  had  been  killed  by  a  boar,  and  that 


THE   WILD   BOAR  OF   TUE   IIARTZ.  295 


Lis  body  was  about  to  be  carried  into  the  castle.  There  was  no 
preface  and  no  comment.  The  Countess  shrieked,  and  swooned 
in  her  husband's  arms.  Who  can  find  the  terms  to  convey  an 
idea  of  Einrich's  thoughts  and  feelings  at  that  moment.  He  was 
revenged ;  his  traitor  guest  was  cold  in  death  ;  and  his  false  wife 
had  be2;un  to  suffer  for  her  dishonourable  conduct.  Yet  murder 
is  a  dreadful  image  to  all  right  minds ;  extenuating  reasons  for 
the  course  pursued  by  Ernest  and  the  Countess  were  easily 
found  in  their  respective  attractions  and  passionate  natures,  as 
well  as  in  the  fatal  difference  in  the  dispositions  of-  Einrich  and. 
his  wife ;  and  suffering  loveliness  is  enough  to  melt  the  stony 
heart  of  a  tyrant.  Ikfore  the  Countess  recovered,  the  body  of 
the  Count  of  Mansfeldt  was  laid  in  the  chamber  he  had  occupied, 
and  messengers  had  been  sent  to  announce  the  disaster  to  his 
family,  and  to  inquire  when  the  body  should  be  conveyed  to  his 
castle.  The  Countess  revived,  but  was  so  weak  that  Einrich  had. 
her  conveyed  at  once  to  her  chamber.  Having  given  orders  for 
washing  and  dressing  the  corpse,  Einrich  retired,  and  was  seen 
no  more  that  day. 

The  nest  morning,  the  messengers  returned  with  the  Count  of 
Mansfeldt's  younger  brother,  Theodore.  The  body  was  to  be 
immediately  sent  to  the  bereaved  family,  under  Theodore's 
charge.  Before  it  was  removed,  Einrich  led  his  wife  to  the 
chamber  to  take  a  final  look  at  the  remains  of  him  she  had 
loved. 

Such  had  been  the  care  and  skill  of  the  attendants  that  the 
corpse  presented  but  few  marks  of  the  mutilation  which  it  had 
suffered.  No  suspicion  of  the  real  cause  of  the  Count's  death 
seemed  to  exist.  The  wound  in  the  back  had  been  perceived, 
but  was  thought  to  have  been  caused  by  a  thrust  from  the  spear 
of  one  of  the  hunters,  while  striving  to  get  at  the  boar.  The 
wounds  made  by  the  tusks  of  the  furious  beast,  were  deemed 
sufficient  to  cause  death.  The  lip  of  pride,  and  bold  brow,  where 
thought  had  worked  its  magic,  and  on  which  the  flush  of  passion 
oft  had  stood,  were  presented  to  the  eyes  of  the  Countess,  in  the 
form  but  not  the  hue  of  life.     Long  and   painfully  she  wept, 


296  THE   WILD   BOAR   OF   THE   HARTZ. 


wliile  Einricli  gazed  tvithout  a  tear  upon  Lis  victim.  Occasion- 
ally, he  shook  his  head,  and  sank  it  on  his  breast,  which  those 
around  interpreted  as  signs  of  woe  too  overwhelming  for  tears  or 
words.  At  length,  Einrich  and  his  wife  retired  from  the  cham- 
ber. The  body  was  carried  below  to  the  hall,  in  its  coffin,  a 
melancholy  procession  was  formed,  and  with  Einrich  and  Theo- 
dore at  its  head,  it  started  for  Mansfeldt  castle. 

We  will  not  describe  the  funeral.  Ernest  was  laid  among  his 
ancestors,  amid  the  tears  and  lamentations  of  his  friends  and 
relatives,  and  Theodore  succeeded  to  his  title  and  estate.  Ein- 
rich of  Stolberg  returned  to  his  castle.  The  Countess  was  weak, 
and  daily  grew  weaker.  She  had  loved  deeply  and  devotedly, 
and  when  death  took  Ernest,  she  shut  her  heart  against  the  en- 
trance of  any  new  life.  Einrich  did  all  in  his  power  to  revive 
her  spirit,  and  forced  himself  into  a  gaiety  of  which  he  had  never 
before  tasted.  She  was  afraid  to  meet  his  eye,  and  shrank  from 
his  close  question.  All  seemed  a  blank  to  her  now.  Music, 
flowers,  and  feasts  were  so  many  mockers,  who  held  out  to  hei 
the  ashen  apples,  with  the  fair-hucd  rind.  It  could  not  last. 
Her  shadowy  frame  gave  way,  and  she  was  stretched  upon  hei 
death-bed.  Einrich  was  at  her  side,  striving  to  strike  a  spark 
of  hope.     She  drew  him  closer  and  v/hispered— ■ 

"  Einrich — my  husband — I  die — but  there  is  a  weight  upon 
my  heart  I  would  remove.  I  have  done  wrongs  and  doubt  if  Hea- 
ven can  forgive  me.  But  you — you — I  know — are  good.  I  was 
your  wife — yet  loved — yes,  loved  another — -so  as  to  forget  I  wan 
your  wife.  I  loved  the  Count  of  Mansfeldt — Now  can  you  for- 
give me  ?" 

"Yes,  yes,"  said  Einrich,  "I  can  forgive  you  any  thing." 

"  Then  I  have  done  with  earth" — were  the  last  words  of 
the  Countess,  and  with  her  arms  clasped  about  her  husband's 
neck,  she  died.  Einrich  wcpfc  long.  He  had  hoped  to  con- 
fess his  dreadful  secret  to  his  wife,  but  she  was  forever  deaf 
to  his,  words,  and  he  could  but  weep  for  the  loss  of  so  much 
loveliness. 

The  Countess  was  laid  in  the  vaxilts  beneath  the  castle  of  Stol- 


THE   WILD   BOAR  OF   THE   HARTZ.  297 


berg,  and  Einrich  was  alone.  Ho  wandered  about  the  castle  and 
its  vicinity,  with  a  hurried  step  and  a  red  and  restless  eye,  as  if 
some  dreadful  phantom  possessed  his  mind.  His  attendants 
whispered  and  surmised.  Most  dropped  a  tear  for  him;  for  they 
attributed  his  conduct  to  the  loss  of  his  young  and  beautiful  wife. 
But  they  were  ignorant  of  the  true  state  of  the  case.  Wherever 
Einrich  went  in  the  castle  or  in  the  wood,  the  image  of  Ernest 
of  Mansfeldt,  prostrate  and  gored  by  the  wild  boar,  was  present 
to  his  mind.  He  dreaded  company,  thinking  others  might  also 
see  this  terrible  sight ;  and  he  trembled  while  alone,  for  fear 
vengeance  in  some  shape  would  overtake  him.  He  would  have 
killed  himself ;  but  what  then?  All  earthly  terrors  might  sink 
in  the  face  of  what  might  then  surround  him.  This  is  the  mur- 
derer's hell !  a  burning  conscience,  without  an  hour  of  rest  in 
life — without  a  hope  in  death.  The  eternal  sleep  of  the  atheist 
is  a  paradise  in  comparison.  One  gloomy  day  when  his  imagina- 
tion was  most  active,  Einrich  wandered  into  the  forest,  with  no 
companion  but  a  boar  spear  and  a  dog.  He  sought  to  find  relief 
in  the  excitement  of  the  chase.  An  old  boar  was  started  by  the 
dog,  and  away  went  Einrich  in  pursuit.  The  animal  saw  the 
weakness  of  his  enemies  and  turned  upon  the  dog.  Einrich  came 
to  the  aid  of  his  pet,  and  a  fierce  struggle  ensued.  The  dog  was 
gored  severely,  but  the  boar  received  several  thrusts  from  Ein- 
rich's  spear.  Suddenly  the  dog  in  striving  to  get  away  from  his 
powerful  enemy,  got  between  his  master's  legs  and  threw  him 
down.  Einrich  struggled  to  regain  his  feet,  but  the  boar  rushed 
upon  him,  and  in  spite  of  the  noble  efi"orts  of  the  dog,  so  wounded 
him  about  the  head  with  his  tusks,  that  he  died.  The  boar  fell 
dead  soon  after,  and  thus  the  wounded  dog  was  left  to  watch  by 
the  body  of  his  master.  There  he  faithfully  remained  until  the 
next  morning,  when  a  party  from  the  castle  discovered  the  corpse 
of  Einrich  and  conveyed  it  home.  He  was  laid  by  the  side  of  his 
wife  amid  the  mouldering  relics  of  an  illustrious  line.  A  nephew 
succeeded  to  his  title  and  estate.  Not  long  afterwards,  a  full  confes- 
sion of  the  murder  of  the  Count  of  Mansfeldt,  and  of  the  reasons 


298 


THE    WILD    BOAR   OF    THE    IIARTZ. 


for  the  crime,  was  found  in  Einrich's  cabinet,  among  other  papers. 
The  story  spread;  growing  wonderfully  during  transmission;  and 
for  many  j-ears  afterwards,  it  was  religiously  believed  among  the 
peasantry  that  the  shades  of  Ernest  and  Einrich,  together  with 
that  of  a  monstrous  wild  boar,  were  seen  in  the  forests  of  the 
Hartz. 

"  Vengeance  is  mine,  saith  the  Lord." 


.%'\l'   ' '    ■ 


-'iM 


BEAR  HUNT  IN  THE  PYRENEES. 

At  the  distance  of  a  league  from  Bagneres  of  Luchon,  on  tlio 
Acclivity  of  the  hill,  stands  a  small  building,  called  the  hospital 
which  serves  as  a  halt  or  station  for  travellers  journeying  to 
Spain.  In  October  18 — ,  a  little  higher  up  than  the  hospital,  a 
small,  temporary  looking  hut  was  to  be  seen,  supported  and 
sheltered  by  a  huge  rock.  It  vias  covered  by  branches  and  dry 
leaves,  and  built  with  loose  rough  stones,  constituting  a  rude  but 
welcome  refuge  for  the  highland  hunters.  It  was  but  the  ha- 
bitation of  a  day,  being  regularly  destroyed  and  carried  off  by 
every  winter's  storm.  The  approaches  of  autumn  are  terrible  in 
the  Pyrenees :  and  at  the  time  mentioned,  a  fearful  storm  was 
bursting  over  the  mountain.  It  was  evening;  every  object  was 
buried  in  darkness;  but  through  the  chinks  of  the  door  of  the 
hut,  darted  at  times  a  few  glimpses  of  light.  This  door  was 
also  occasionally  opened;  a  man's  head  would  then  appear 
through  the  lightened  aperture,  and  be  immediately  withdrawn. 
The  appearance  of  the  inside  was  rather  picturesque.  In  the 
middle  of  the  hut,  on  a  roughly  made  table,  were  promiscuously 
placed  a  large  basin  of  milk,  some  smoked  bacon,  a  piece  of 
goat's  cheese,  and  some  maize  bread ;  on  the  right  was  an  open- 
ing made  in  the  rock,  which  served  as  a  chimney.  In  this 
chimney  lay,  almost  in  one  blaze  of  lire,  the  best  part  of  a  tree, 
with  its  branches  and  leaves,  which  brightly  illuminated  the 
centre  of  the  hut,  and  glittered  on  the  long  polished  barrels  of 
the  rifles  placed  upriglit  against  the  wall.  Before  the  fire,  a 
deer's  haunch  was  comfortably  roasting ;  and  around  were 
Btrotched  five  highland  hunters,  with  their  caps  of  brown  worsted, 
thf  r  knee-breeches  of  coarse  brown  cloth,  and  their  long  grey 
Bt(   kings.     They  had  fled  to  the  hut  to  save  themselves  from 

(299) 


300  A   BEAR    HUN.T    IN    THE   PYRENEES. 


the  storm,  and  were  now  awaiting  the  supper  vdiich  was  prepar. 
ing.  At  the  farthest  extremity  sat,  reading  attentively,  by  the 
light  of  a  wick  saturated  with  resin,  a  man  who  appeared 
not  to  be  dressed  like  the  rest  of  the  hunters;  his  occu- 
pation, the  expression  of  his  countenance,  and  the  respectful 
distance  preserved  towards  him  by  the  highlanders,  sufficiently 
testified  his  superiority  over  them.  At  the  other  side  was  sus- 
pended the  open  and  reeking  carcass  of  a  deer  recently  killed. 

The  crackling  of  the  roasting  meat,  the  hissing  of  the  snow 
as  it  fell  on  the  inflamed  wood,  the  loud  rumbling  sound  of  the 
frequent  thunder-claps,  repeated  and  increased  by  the  echoes  of 
the  mountain,  alone  interrupted  the  silence  which  prevailed  in 
the  hut.  There  seemed  some  wdight  on  the  minds  of  the  men  ; 
but  at  length  one  of  them  spoke  aloud.  "  So,  Janote,  it.  was  by 
the  same  bear  that  killed  one  of  our  friends  before,  that  Baptiste 
was  worried  yesterday  ?"  "  Yes."  "  I  shall  kill  him,  Janote, 
or  die;  where  was  he  seen  yesterday  ?"  "Near  the  glacier  of 
La  Maladetta."  "  I  will  go  to-morrow  morning,  and  encounter 
him  ;  it  shall  not  be  said  that  this  black  skin  has  frightened  us 
all,  like  a  herd  of  chamois."  "  Peter,"  said  Janote,  "  the  snow 
has  fallen  for  these  two  days,  the  hill  is  very  dangerous,  and 
Baptiste  was  surprised  by  the  bear  merely  in  consequence  of  his 
being  caught  by  the  cold ;  you  had  better  not  go  to-morrow." 
"  I  shall  go  !"  was  the  answer. 

A  gloomy  pause  now  took  place,  after  which  the  man  seated 
at  the  extremity  of  the  hut  rose  and  came  close  to  Peter. 
"  Peter,"  said  he,  "  how  many  children  have  you  ?"  "  Five." 
"You  shall  not  go  to-morrow!"  "But"— — "You  shall  not 
go !"  These  words  were  pronounced  with  so  much  authority, 
that  Peter  held  down  his  head  and  remained  silent.  "  Well 
then,"  said  another,  "  I  shall  have  the  shot,  for  I  have  neither 
wife  nor  children."  "  Friend,"  replied  the  man,  "  who  lives  at 
the  village  in  the  smith's  house  ?"  "  My  mother."  "  You  shall 
not  go."  "  But,"  rejoined  Peter,  "  now  that  we  have  found  out 
the  villain's  den,  wc  ought  to  take  advantage  of  the  discovery." 
"  He  shall  be  killed  \"     "  And  by  whom  ?  by  whom  ?"     "  By 


A   BEAR   HUNT  IN   THE   TYRENEES.  301 


myself,  my  friends."  "  You,  reverend  sir  ?"  they  all  exclaimed. 
"  Yes,  my  friends ;  by  myself.  I  am  but  a  peasant,  a  high- 
lander,  like  yourselves.  I  spent  twenty  years  among  the  rocks 
of  Catalonia  before  becoming  a  minister  of  God ;  and  the  man 
you  now  name  in  the  village  the  Reverend  Curate  Ricgo,  was 
once  culled  Iliego  the  Bear-hunter." 

As  he  pronounced  these  words,  the  clergyman's  countenance 
was  animated  by  a  singular  expression  of  courage  and  energy. 
"  I  had  come  to  the  hill,"  continued  he,  "  to  admire  the  storm  j 
Heaven,  no  doubt,  has  directed  me  to  this  hut  to  hear  your  regrets ; 

and   although  I   have   not  touched  a  rifle  for  fifteen  years" • 

"Fifteen  years?"  said  Peter.  "Yes,  my  friends;  for  blood, 
even  an  insect's  blood,  should  never  stain  the  bauds  of  a  minister 
of  God  ;  but  what  1  intend  to  do  to-morrow  is  merely  to  destroy 
what  is  hurtful  and  dangerous ;  and  as  I  have  neither  children, 
wife,  nor  mother,  I  shall  go,  and  fear  not  but  I  shall  kill  the 
beast."  "  Be  careful,  M.  Ricgo,"  said  Janote.  "  Fear  not  my 
friend,  I  shall  remember  the  days  of  my  youth." 

A  young  man,  about  twenty-two  years  of  age,  called  Stephano, 
then  approached  the  priest,  and  said  to  him,  "  But  I,  brother, 
shall  I  not  go  with  you  ?"  "You,  Stephano  !"  replied  the 
curate,  "  my  mother's  son  ! — no  ;  you  shall  not  come."  "  "We 
shall  all  follow  you  together  !"  cried  the  hunters.  "  I  do  not  want 
you,  my  friends;  and.  as  the  night  is  advancing,  you  had  better 
take  your  supper  and  go  to  rest." 

Young  Stephano  did  not  repeat  his  re(|uest  to  his  brother.  The 
hunters  instantly  began  their  meal;  for  there  was  in  M.  Riego's 
voice  an  irresistible  accent  of  command. 

Half  an  hour  afterwards,  each  man  began  to  settle  himself  in 
some  corner  of  the  hut,  wrapped  up  in  a  sheep  or  goat's  skin ; 
Stephano  stretched  himself  nearest  to  the  door ;  and  very  soou 
all  was  silence. 

At  the  first  dawn  of  day,  Riego,  fearing  the  hunters  would 
insist  on  accompanying  him,  gently  got  up,  and,  choosing  one  of 
the  rifles,  stept  out  without  being  heard.  He  had  put  on  a  dress 
borrowed  from  one  of  the  highlanders.     On  his  head  he  wore 

26 


302  A   BEAR   HUNT  IN   THJ..  f-'>RLN£ES. 


the  small,  flat,  blue  bivet;  over  his  legs,  the  long  leathern 
gaiters  usually  worn  by  these  hardy  mountaineers;  round  his 
waist,  a  strong  scarlet  belt,  in  which  he  placed  a  knife,  the  thick 
sharp  blade  of  which  was  eight  or  nine  inches  long.  He  was 
not  the  same  man.  His  step  was  at  all  times  firm  and  erect, 
but  slow ;  on  this  day,  however,  his  energy  amounted  even  to 
impatience.  As  soon  as  he  was  out  of  the  hut,  he  examined  the 
rifle  with  all  the  scrupulous  attention  of  an  experienced  hunter : 
tried  the  lock,  bm-nt  some  of  the  powder  to  ascertain  its  quality 
and  dryness,  loaded  carefully  with  three  balls,  and  was  just 
starting,  when,  at  ten  yards  before  him,  he  perceived  his  young 
brother  Stephano,  ready  equipped  as  a  hunter.  "  What  are  you 
doing  there?"  said  he.  "1  am  wailing  for  you,  brother." 
"Why?"  "Because  I  want  to  go  with  you;  and  I  must  go." 
The  curate  answered  not  till  after  a  moment's  reflection — "Well, 
let  it  be  so.  Is  your  rifle  loaded?"  "Yes,  brother."  "Here 
are  twelve  balls,  then ;  take  them,  and  let  us  go." 

The  brothers  started  on  their  perilous  adventure.  After  an 
hour's  march,  they  passed  the  short  rocky  defile  which  separates 
France  from  Spain  ;  and  while  threading  its  recesses,  Riego 
would  ever  and  anon  raise  his  rifle  to  his  shoulder,  foUowinjr 
steadily  the  course  of  some  eagle,  which  was  already  abroad  in 
the  keen,  clear  morning  air.  Eut  he  fired  not,  for  he  deemed 
that  there  was  no  call  upon  him  to  shed  aiiy  blood  but  that  of  the 
grizzly  bear.  At  the  termination  of  the  defile,  they  found  them- 
selves in  front  of  La  Maladetta  (the  accursed,)  the  finest  glacier 
of  the  Pyrenees,  but  the  most  dangerous,  also,  as  its  not  inap- 
propriate name  implies.  W^heu  the  glacier  appeared,  here  a 
mass  of  glittering  ice,  and  there  deadened  in  hue  by  flakes  of 
dun  snow,  Riego  felt  the  enthusiasm  of  former  days  return  upon 
him,  and  he  could  not  help  exclaiming  joyfully,  "  The  snow ! 
the  hills  !"  Turning  to  Stephano  the  priest  then  exclaimed, 
"  If  Janote  be  right,  the  bear  must  be  in  that  fir-wood  to  the 
left.  We  must  climb  the  Maladetta,  Stepliano.  Have  you  the 
iron  hooks  and  the  ropes  ?"  "  Yes,  brother."  "  Come,  then, 
get  ready,"  said  Ricgo. 


A   BEAR   HUNT  IN   THE   PYRENEES.  303 


In  a  few  minutes  tbcy  had  buckled  the  iron  hooks  to  their 
liands,  and  had  united  their  bodies  by  a  rope  about  eight  feet 
long,  the  purpose  of  which  was,  that  one  of  them  might  sustain 
the  other,  in  case  of  a  slip.  Thus  secured,  the  brothers  resumed 
their  route.  For  half  an  hour  they  toiled  silently  up  the  pre- 
carious ascent,  and  were  near  the  place  of  their  destination, 
when,  all  at  once,  the  ice  gave  way  beneath  Stcphano's  feet,  and 
he  sunk  downwards  into  a  deep  crevice.  Dragged  back  by  his 
companion's  weight,  the  priest  slid  rapidly  to  the  very  edge  of 
the  same  gulf :  a  second  more,  and  he  also  would  have  been 
over !  Both  must  have  perished :  but,  gathering  his  whole 
strength,  Riego  dashed  his  iron  ^^vaspcr  into  the  ice  with  such 
force,  that  he  stopped  suddenly.  To  loosen  one  of  his  hands,  and 
turn  the  rope  round  his  arm  for  the  purpose  of  shortening  it, 
was  the  work  of  an  instant.  He  then  exerted  his  strength  in 
raising  Stcphano.  Soon  the  young  man's  hands  could  grasp  tho 
edge  of  the  hole;  by  and  by  his  whole  chest  appeared.  "  Cou- 
rage !  courage !"  cried  Ricgo,  putting  forth  his  whole  powers 
upon  a  final  effort,  which  being  aided  by  the  youth's  pressure 
on  his  own  elbov.'s,  was  successful.  Stephano  was  freed  from 
his  danger,  but  he  fell  almost  in  a  fainting  state  upon  the  snow.  A 
mouthful  of  spirits,  from  the  small  store  of  provisions  which  the 
hunters  had  brought  with  them,  restored  Stephauo  to  the  power 
of  motion;  and  the  priest  said  to  him  in  a  cheerful  voice, 
"  Courage,  brother  ! — you  are  all  right  again ;  let  us  move  on  !" 
Stephano  replied,  "  Yes,  brother,"  and  resumed  the  march  ;  but  a 
great  change  had  come  over  the  young  man.  The  narrow  escape 
-which  he  had  made  had  overthrown  his  resolution.  He  walked 
on  pale,  tottering,  and  exhausted — a  dificrent  being  altogether, 
from  what  he  had  been  a  few  moments  before.  Eiego,  who 
moved  foremost,  was  too  much  occupied  with  the  outlook  for 
the  bear,  and  with  the  diiSculties  of  the  path,  to  be  fully  sensi- 
ble how  much  his  brother  was  changed  by  the  late  accident. 
The  bear  was  not  to  be  seen  at  Maladetta  when  they  reached  it. 
The  hunters  then  turned  into  the  Spanish  Pyrenees,  which  they 
entered  oy  La  Picada.     Scarcely  had  they  gone  a  few  yards  in 


304  A   BEAR   HUNT  IN    THE    PYRENEES. 


this  direction,  when  Riego  stopped  short,  and,  without  turning 
round,  made  a  sign  to  his  companion  to  stand  still  also.  The 
priest  then  laid  his  ear  to  the  ground,  and  heard  a  low  growling 
sound,  which  he  immediately  pronounced  to  be  the  snarl  of  the 
bear.  "He  is  not  far  oif,"  said  Riego,  in  a  whisper.  ''Let  us 
mount  this  platform,  and  we  are  sure  to  see  him.  Follow  me." 
The  brothers  ascended  the  platform  in  question  by  a  narrow  ridge, 
flanked  on  the  right  and  left  by  a  .steep  precipice.  On  the  side 
opposite  to  where  the  hunters  were,  there  was  another  precipitous 
pass.  Having  completed  the  ascent,  the  brothers  looked  round, 
and  in  a  few  moments  saw  an  enormous  bear  moving  flov/ly 
down  the  dry  rocky  bed  of  a  torrent.  "  Here  he  is  I"  cried  the 
curate.  "Stei^hano!  make  ready  ;  he  will  immediately  pass  the 
corner  before  us,  close  to  that  fir-tree  ;  fire  at  him  there.  Mark  for 
the  left  shoulder — a  little  behind  it !  If  you  miss  him,  I  will 
then  shoot  !" 

Just  as  Riego  concluded  his  direction.s,  the  bear  came  to  the 
point  mentioned.  "  Now,  Stephano  !"  cried  the  curate.  The 
young  man  fired  ;  but  whether  from  agitation,  or  the  distance, 
he  missed  the  animal,  as  appeared  from  the  splinters  of  ice 
broken  ofi"  by  the  side  of  the  brute,  which  at  once  turned  round, 
savv^  the  hunters,  and  advanced  towards  them.  He  was  at  first 
little  more  than  twenty  yards  distant,  but  fortunately  the  path 
took  some  turns,  which  made  the  space  to  be  passed  greater.  At 
a  favourable  instant,  calmly  and  steadily  raising  his  gun,  Riego 
fired.  The  brute,  however,  chanced  to  slip  aside  at  the  moment, 
and  of  the  three  balls  one  only  struck  him  iii  the  fiaiik.  A  ter- 
rific growl  was  the  only  reply  to  the  shot,  which  was  totally  inef- 
fective in  retarding  its  course.  "  Borne  balls !"  said  Rico 
quietly,  without  turning  his  eye  from  the  bear.  Ftephano  spoke 
not.  "  Balls,  Stejthano  !  in  three  minutes  he  will  be  upon  us  I" 
The  young  man  had  been  feeling  his  pouch.  "  We  are  lost !" 
cried  he  with  a  groan  of  despair;  "the  bag  has  been  buried  in 
the  snow  at  Maladetta  \" 

The  growls  of  the  bear  became  more  and  more  vivid.  "  We 
have  no  balls  !"  repeated  the  youug  man  in  tones  of  agony ; 


RIEGO  AND  THE  BEAR. 


26* 


A   BEAR   nUNT  IN   THE   PYRENEES.  307 


•'  let  us  fly  !"  oh,  let  us  fly,  brotber  I"  "  Fly  I"  said  tbe  priest ; 
"  no — we  cannot !  In  twenty  seconds  the  monster  would  be  up 
with  us,  were  we  to  go  down  hill !"  "  Oh  !  blessed  Virgin  !" 
cried  Stephano,  falling  on  his  knees  in  desperation. 

'  Come,  no  faint-hearted ness,  brother  I"  exclaimed  the  priest, 
speaking  very  quickly,  but  in  his  usual  intrepid  tones;  ^'  there  is 
one  resource.  Show  me  your  knife  !  yes,  it  is  long  and  sharp, 
Mark  nic  !  in  one  minute  the  bear  will  be  on  this  platform  ?  I 
will  walk  up  to  him,  he  v.'ill  rush  on  ine.  I  will  hold  him  tight; 
and  do  you  stab  him  till  he  drops,  in  the  left  side,  Stephano  !" 

"Yes,  brother,''  was  the  young  man's  reply. 

*  Now  he  comes  !"  cried  the  undaunted  priest ;  "  no  unsteadi- 
ness Stephano  !  Strike  hard  and  true  !  Ha !  the  bears  have 
felt  Riego  before  now,  and  they  shall  not  conquer  me  yet  I" 

The  priest  seemed  almost  happy  in  his  fearlessness.  But, 
alas !  deplorably  different  was  the  condition  of  the  poor  young 
brother.  The  bear  appeared.  "  To  work  !  to  work,  Stephano  \" 
cried  the  priest,  as  he  stepped  forward  with  open  arms.  The 
monster,  rising  on  its  hiud  legs,  seized  Iliego  with  a  suffocating 
grasp.  A  terrible  struggle  began  between  them.  "Help 
brother,  help  I"  cried  the  priest  in  a  voice  of  thunder.  Alas ! 
Stephano  had  lost  all  presence  of  mind.  His  legs  shook  under 
him ;  a  film  passed  over  his  eyes ;  he  could  neither  advance  nor 
retreat.     The  agonies  of  helpless  terror  were  upon  him. 

"  Strike,  brother,  strike  I"  cried  the  priest  in  weaker  tones. 
The  bear  howled  in  a  terrific  manner,  its  hideous  head  projected 
over  the  curate's  shoulder,  its  eyes  red  .as  fire,  and  its  paws  tear- 
ing Riego's  buck,  while  they  at  the  same  time  crushed  him  be- 
tween them.  The  struggle  had  lasted  a  few  seconds.  Stephano, 
wild,  insafte  almost,  could  not  stir.  "  Help  me,  brother!  save 
me  !"  cried  the  priest,  his  voice  failing.  At  this  last  call,  the 
young  man  seemed  partly  to  recover  his  powers  of  action.  He 
ran  forward,  and  struck  his  knife  against  the  side  of  the  monster. 
But  the  blow  came  from  a  hand  too  unsteady  to  do  any  execution. 
The  knife  scarcely  scratched  the  skin.  The  failure,  and  the 
near  spectacle  of  the  brute's  open  mouth  and  fierce  eyes,  over- 


308  A   BEAR   HUNT  IN   THE   PYRENEES. 


threw  Stephano's  resolution  utterly,  and,  dropping  the  knife  from 
his  nerveless  grasp,  he  turned  and  fled  from  the  spot. 

"  Brother !  brother  I"  cried  Riego  in  a  choked  voice,  but 
Stephano  was  away.  Alone  with  his  enemy,  the  priest  tried  to 
draw  his  own  knife  from  his  belt,  but  the  brute  held  him  too 
tight.  Gathering  vigour  from  despair,  the  priest  resolved  that, 
if  he  perished,  the  monster  should  perish  with  him,  and,  step  by 
step,  he  pushed  the  bear  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice.  At  this 
very  instant  a  powerful  voice  was  heard  from  above  the  platform 
exclaiming,  "  Courage  !  courage  I"  and  a  man  bounded  down 
the  rocks  with  fearful  rapidity.  But  it  was  too  late  !  The 
priest  and  his  grizzly  foe  had  reached  the  brink  of  the  abyss ; 
the  bear's  feet  slipped,  and  both  of  them  rolled  down  the  steep 
locked  in  that  mortal  embrace.  The  eyes  of  the  new  comer 
could  not  follow  them  into  the  gulf. 

The  day  following  that  on  which  this  scene  took  place,  was 
the  epoch  of  a  festival  in  the  village  of  which  Biego  was  curate. 

The  people  were  assembled  in  their  public  room,  and  the  gene- 
rous daring  of  their  pastor  was  the  theme  of  every  tongue. 
They  lamented  him  deeply,  for  this  much  they  had  learned  from 
Stephano,  that  the  priest  had  perished  in  encountering  the  bear. 
The  young  man,  however,  would  tell  no  more ;  he  kept  a  moody 
silence,  and  the  people  ascribed  it  to  sorrow  for  the  loss  of  a 
brother  whom  he  was  known  to  respect  and  love  deeply.  Things 
stood  thus,  when  a  young  peasant  from  a  neighbouring  village 
entered  the  public  room.  He  was  the  man  who  had  witnessed 
Riego's  fall,  and  he  had.  also  witnessed  Stephano's  flight  and  de- 
sertion. He  told  his  tale,  and  in  an  instant  cries  of  indignation 
burst  from  every  tongue.  "  Away  with  him  !  drive  him  from 
the  village  !"  were  the  exclamations  of  all.  The  unfortunate 
youth  seemed  in  a  condition  of  despair,  which  nothing  could  add 
to ;  and  he  was  moving  mutely  away,  when  a  man  covered  with 
bloody  rags  made  his  appearance.  "  Riego  !"  exclaimed  the  as- 
tonished villagers.  It  was  indeed  the  priest.  Stephano  fell  on 
his  knees  before  his  brother  in  a  state  of  speechless  rapture,  and. 
with  looks  of  imploring  entreaty,  kissed  his  feet  and  knees.    The 


A   BEAR   UUKT  IN    THE   PYKENEES.  809 


priest  looked  on  liiiu  with  an  aspect  of  affection  and  mild  for- 
giveness. "  Did  you  not  full  over  the  precipice  with  the  bear  ?" 
cried  one  of  the  people.  "  I  did,"  said  llicgo  ;  "  but  Heaven  pro- 
tected nic.  3Iy  belt  was  caught  by  a  sharp  rock  ;  the  bear  wag 
forced  to  quit  its  hold,  and  perished  alone  at  the  bottom  of  the 
gulf." 

Exclaraatiou.s  of  joy  now  rang  from  everj^  quarter.  Stephano 
continued  sobbing  aloud.  "  My  brother  !  oh  !  my  brother  1" 
was  all  he  could  say.  "  What  meant  those  cries  as  T  entered  ?" 
said  the  priest  in  a  severe  tone;   "  why  would  you  ?end  away  the 

boy  ?"   "  Because  the  coward" "  Coward  !  he  is  no  coward  !" 

cried  llicgo.  "  His  presence  of  mind  was  destroyed  by  his 
having  narrowly  escaped  death  a  few  moments  before.  Are  you 
sure  that  the  same  effect  would  not  be  produced  on  any  one  of 
yourselves  ?  Surely  none  will  blame  liiin  when  I  forgive  and 
embrace  him  !  And  now,  let  us  return  thanks  to  God,  and  let 
the  festival  proceed." 

lliego's  wounds  were  soon  hccilod.  As  for  Stephano,  by 
many  a  brave  feat  the  young  man  has  since  wiped  away  the  re- 
proach which  was  drawn  upon  him  by  his  want  of  firmness  at  the 
death-scene  of  the  great  bear 


CIIHETOO,  THE  i'l:  DARRY. 


THE  PINDAKlirES. 


The  Pind:irnes  were  not  a  distiiicfivo  rnco,  bvit  a  class  of  men, 
of  different  descent,  religion  and  habits,  gradually  associated,  and 
assimilated  bj  a  common  pursuit.     Tnoy  were  all  robbers. 

The  name  -of  pindarry  fi;'-t  occurs  in  Indian  history  about  the 
end  of  the  seventeenth  cesiiury,  but  their  prominent  importance 
in  the  pages  of  that  history  was  reserved  for  our  own  days.  They 
were  like  the  first  Mahratta?  in  their  habits  of  life  and  warfare, 
but  unlike  them,  in  not  being  united  by  nationality  and  one  reli- 
gious faith;  in  not  having  the  legitimate  and  permanent  motives 
of  attachment  to  their  native  soil,  and  resentment  aarainst  the 
intolerant  and  oppressive  rulers  (the  Mahometan  conquerors  of 
Indin)  by  whnm  the  Mnhrattas  were  assailed.  From  obscure 
freebooters,  they  rose  into  suSciont  consequence  to  be  deemed 
useful  auxiliaries  by  the  different  Mahratta  powers  whose  desul- 
tory mode  of  wnrfir'^  wri.<;  suited  to  their  predatory  habits;  and 
from  their  preceding  or  accompanying  them  in  their  incursions, 
(310) 


THE   PINDARKIES.  311 


tbe  Pindarrics  became  occasionally  confounded  with  the  Mahrat- 
tas,  though  they  were  always  considered  by  the  latter  as  essen- 
tially distinct,  and  so  immeasurably  inferior  as  not  to  be  allowed 
to  eat  with  tliem,  or  even  to  be  seated  in  their  presence. 

"Tbeir  aid,"  says  Sir  John  Malcolm,  from  whom  this  account 
is  chiefly  taken,  "  was  purchased  by  the  Mahrattas,  by  occasional 
grants  of  land,  or,  more  correctly  speaking,  by  a  tacit  admission 
of  their  right  to  possess  tracts  which  they  had  usurped,  and  a 
privilege  of  plundering,  even  beyond  the  usual  license  given  to  a 
Mahratta  army.  The  Pindarries  took  substantive  form  under 
this  system  3  their  chiefs  acquired  reputation,  and  the  claims  to 
the  services  of  their  adherents  by  degrees  became  hereditary,  and 
were  transmitted  to  their  descendants.  Tribes  were  cemented  in 
federal  union,  and  common  motives  of  action  led  to  somewhat  of 
a  common  interest  being  established  throughout  the  whole  of 
this  community  of  robbers." 

The  very  looseness  of  their  composition  was  favourable  to  their 
increase,  as  it  admitted  all  castes  and  all  faiths,  and  offered  a 
ready  refuge  to  poverty,  indolence  and  crime — to  all  that  was 
floating  and  unattached  in  the  communities  of  Central  India; 
and  united — and  the  prospect  of  plunder  would  always  unite 
them — the  Pindarries  presented  a  mass  of  materials  which  an 
able  and  popular  leader  might  use  cither  for  the  destruction  of 
others,  or  his  own  aggrandizement. 

The  Pindarries  have  also  been  compared  to  the  Tartars ;  but 
when  the  Tartars  came  to  a  rich  and  fertile  country,  they  would 
settle  and  repose,  and  their  numerous  flocks  and  herds  would 
present  pastoral  pictures;  not  so  the  Pindarries.  ''Like  swarms 
of  locusts,  acting  from  instinct,  they  destroyed  and  left  waste 
whatever  province  they  visited.  Their  chiefs  had,  from  grants 
or  by  usurpation,  obtained  small  territorial  possessions  ;  but  the 
revenues  of  their  land  were  never  equal  to  the  maintenance  of 
one-tenth  part  of  their  numbers,  and  they  could  therefore  only 
be  supported  by  plunder." 

What  their  numbers  were  could  at  no  time  be  correctly  esti- 


312  THE    PINDAllRIES. 


mated — they  varied  with  circumstances;  being  diminished  bj 
misfortune  and  swelled  by  success. 

"  It  is  also  to  be  observed,  that  the  Piodarries  were  fed  and 
nourished  by  the  very  miseries  they  created ;  for  as  their  preda- 
tory invasions  extended,  property  became  insecure,  and  those 
who  were  ruined  by  their  depredations  were  afterwards  compelled 
to  have  recourse  to  a  life  of  violence,  as  the  only  means  of  sub- 
sistence left  them.  They  joined  the  stream  which  they  could 
not  withstand,  and  endeavoured  to  redeem  their  own  losses  by 
the  plunder  of  others." 

The  mode  of  robbing  pursued  by  these  overgrown  bodies  of 
banditti,  will  show  at  ouce  how  difficult  it  was  to  intercept  or 
suppress  them. 

When  they  set  out  on  an  expedition,,  they  placed  themselves 
under  the  guidance  of  one  or  more  chosen  IcaJors,  cisUcd  Lubbi- 
riahs,  who  were  selected  on  account  of  their  knowledge  of  the 
country  that  it  was  meant  to  plunder.  The  Pindarries  were 
neither  encumbered  with  tents  nor  baggage ;  each  horseman  car- 
ried a  few  cakes  of  bread  for  his  own  subsistence,  and  some  feeds 
of  grain  for  his  horse.  The  party,  which  usually  consisted  of 
two  or  three  thousand  good  horse,  with  a  proportion  of  mounted 
followers^  advanced  at  the  rapid  rate  of  forty  or  fiftj'  miles  a  day, 
neither  turning  to  the  right  nor  left  till  they  arrived  at  their  place 
of  destination.  They  then  divided  and  made  a  sweep  of  all  the 
cattle  and  property  they  could  find  :  committing  at  the  same  time 
the  most  horrid  atrocities,  and  destroying  what  they  could  not 
carry  away.  They  trusted  to  the  secrecy  and  suddenness  of  the 
irruption  for  avoiding  those  who  guarded  the  frontiers  of  the 
countries  they  invaded  :  and  before '  a  force  could  be  brought 
against  them,  they  were  on  their  return.  Their  chief  strength 
lay  in  their  being  intangible. 

If  pursued  they  made  marches  of  extraordinary  length  (some- 
times upwards  of  sixty  miles,)  by  roads  almost  impracticable  for 
regular  troops.  If  overtaken,  they  dispersed,  and  re-assemblcd 
at  an  appointed  rendezvous;  if  followed  to  the  country  from 
which  they  issued,  they  broke  into  small  parties. 


THE   PINDARRIES.  313 


Their  woaltb,  tlioir  booty,  and  their  families,  were  scatlorcd 
over  a  wide  region,  in  which  they  found  protection  amid  the 
mountains,  and  in  the  fastnesses  belonging  to  themselves  and  to 
those  with  whom  they  were  either  openly  or  secretly  connected ; 
but  no  where  did  they  present  any  point  of  attack;  and  the  de- 
feat of  a  party,  the  destruction  of  one  of  their  cantonments,  or 
the  temporary  occupation  of  some  of  their  strongholds,  produced 
no  effect,  beyond  the  ruin  of  an  individual  freebooter,  whose  place 
was  instantly  supplied  by  another,  generally  of  more  desperate 
fortune,  and  therefore  more  eager  for  enterprise." 

The  instances  of  romantic  courage,  of  humanity,  and  even  of 
romantic  generosity,  (exaggerated,  no  doubt,  by  popular  credulity 
and  our  love  of  the  marvellous,)  which  frequently  chequer  the 
narratives  of  other  desperate  bands  of  depredators,  could  hardly 
Ic  expected  t.)  occur  in  associations  composed  and  disposed  like 
that  of  the  Pindarries.  Even  when  acting  with  the  3Iahrattas, 
as  auxiliaries,  their  object  was  to  plunder  not  to  fight.  They 
n-cnt  before,  indeed,  but  it  was  only  by  surprise,  or  in  defenceless 
provinces;  they  were  from  their  very  origin,  the  scavengers  of 
the  Mahrattas,  and  though  in  the  van,  had  little  more  pretension 
to  martial  conduct  or  valour,  than  had  the  birds  and  beasts  of 
prey  that  followed  in  their  and  their  allies'  rear.  It  must  be 
said,  however,  that  though  not  one  of  these  marauders  ever  suc- 
ceeded in  establishing  a  claim  to  high  reputation,  but  all  ap- 
peared to  have  shared  in  the  ignorance,  the  meanness,  the  rapa- 
city, and  brutal  cruelty  by  which  they  were  distinguished  as  a 
body,  that  some  of  their  chiefs,  (the  celebrated  Cheetoo  in  particu- 
lar,) united  with  the  .qualities,  so  essential  to  his  profession,  of 
activity,  cunning,  and  ready  enterprise,  a  wonderful  strength  of 
mind  in  bearing  the  reverses  of  fortune,  and  the  privations  of  his 
lot. 

The  audacity  of  their  enterprise,  the  cunning  and  skill  of  their 
execution,  their  lightning-like  rapidity,  their  dexterity,  do,  how- 
ever, create  almost  as  great  an  interest,  as  is  excited  by  the 
valour  in  combat  of  others,  and  are  altogether  as  romantic; — in 
proof  of  which,  the  following  story  is  sufficient.     In   December 


14  THE   PINDARRIES. 


1816,  a  few  days  before  a  signal  defeat  inflicted  by  the  Euglisb  on 
the  main  bodj'  of  the  Pindarrie^,  who  were  obliged  to  retreat  with 
the  loss  of  the  greater  part  of  their  horses  and  booty  ;  one  leader, 
indignant  at  the  want  of  energy  betrayed  bythose  vested  with  the 
chief  command  of  the  expedition,  abandoned  it  altogether,  and 
led'  off  about  four  hundred  men  to  act  for  himself.  Pie  dashed 
across  the  Peshwa's  territory,  descended  into  the  Konkan  by  the 
Amba-ghaut  in  the  western  range,  and  thence  shaped  his  course 
due  north,  plundering  the  western  shoresi  of  India,  from  the 
seventeenth  to  the  twenty-first  degree  of  north  latitude,  and  re- 
turning to  the  valley  of  the  Taptce,  and  the  route  of  Boorhan- 
poor.  This  was  the.  only  expedition  that  evaded  the  British,  and 
succeeded  this  season.  The  only  loss  he  sustained  was  on  his 
return  to  the  river  Nerbudda,  in  the  following  March.  Here  he 
was  within  a  few  miles  of  home,  but  he  found  the  ford  by  which 
he  hoped  to  cross  to  join  the  great  Pindarry  Chief  Cheetoo's 
durra,  guarded  by  a  redoubt,  occupied  by  a  party  of  our  sepoys. 
Several  of  his  men  were  shot  in  attempting  to  dash  across;  but 
the  chief  himself,  with  his  main  body,  and  best  mounted  followers, 
retiring,  from  the  foi*d,  boldly  swam  the  river  lower  down,  though 
not  without  a  further  loss  of  men  and  horses.  Those  who  had 
worse  horses,  or  less  courage,  dispersed,  and  fled  into  the  jungle 
^on  the  English  side  of  the  river,  where  the  greater  part  were  cut 
off  by  the  wild  inhabitants  of  the  neighbourhood.  The  rest,  how- 
ever, reached  their  strongholds  with  a  rich  booty  in  their  saddles; 
and  the  bi'illiancy  of  the  achievement  added  even  more  to  thcii 
reputation,  than  its  success  had  done  to  their  wealth. 

The  Pindarry  who  conducted  this  astonishing  enterprise,  the 
hardihood  and  marvellousness  of  which  will  be  better  understood 
by  a  Inference  to  the  geography  and  the  maps  of  India,  was 
named  Sheik  Dulloo.  He  seems  to  have  been  the  most  adventu- 
rous of  all  the  chiefs.  The  year  after,  when  he  saw  himself,  with 
the  rest  of  the  Pindarrics,  closely  pressed  by  tlie  English,  and 
that  matters  were  becoming  desperate  on  the  banks  of  the  Ner- 
budda,  he  proposed  joining  Trimbukjee  at  Choolee-Muhesnwur, 
and  seeking  his  fortune  in  another  expedition  to  the  Deccan. 


THE   PINDARRIES.  315 


Cbectoo,  another  daring  freebooter  of  this  kind,  first  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  English  in  India  .towards  the  end  of  180G. 
When  raising  himself  on  the  temporary  ruin  of  Kurcem,  another 
Pindarry  chief,  who  had  been  inveigled  and  made  a  prisoner  by 
Sindheea,  a  Mahratta  potentate,  he  united  the  durras  of  many 
other  leaders  under  his  standard,  and  prepared  to  make  depreda- 
tions, or  to  carry  on  an  incursive  war  on  a  grand  scale. 

Numerous  and  profitable  were  the  expeditions  of  this  wholesale 
robber,  undertaken  on  his  own  account;  but  in  1811,  the  captive 
Pindarry  Kureera,  purchasing  his  liberty  from  Sindheea,  returned 
to  the  scenes  of  his  former  power,  and  soon  obtained  his  former 
supremacy.  Kureera  immediately  raised  fresh  levies  of  infantry  ; 
tlie  chiefs  soon  rallied  round  his  standard,  and  he  laid  his  plans 
to  effect  a  general  combination  of  all  the  Pindarries  for  a  preda- 
tory expedition  of  extraordinary  moment.  Cheetoo  was  obliged 
to  follow  the  example  of  his  fellow  chieftains,  and  at  the  Dussera 
of  1811,  his  durra  made  part  of  25,000  cavalry  of  all  descrip- 
tions, that  were  ready,  under  the  command  of  Kureem,  to  march 
against  and  plunder  Nagpoor.  But  Cheetoo  hated  Kureem  as  a 
rival :  he  sold  himself  to  his  enemies,  and  went  over  to  them  with 
his  troops.  Not  long  after  he  defeated  Kureem,  and  obliged  him 
to  flee  with  his  adherents  to  a  distant  country.  Cheetoo  again 
shone  forth  on  his  rival's  eclipse,  and  at  his  cantonment  of  Nc- 
mawur,  not  less  than  15,000  horse  annually  assembled,  to  issue 
forth  to  plunder,  under  leaders  of  his  nomination,  in  whatever 
direction  he  might  prescribe. 

The  anomalous  but  vast  power  of  these  Pindarry  freebooters 
had  been  gradually  growing  up  since  1805-G.  "  Its  leading  fea- 
ture was  hostility  to  all  regular  governments,  and  of  course  most 
particularly  against  the  English  and  their  allies,  whose  territories 
ofiered  the  richest  booty.  The  existence  of  these  hordes  imposed 
the  necessity  of  constant  vigilance  along  the  whole  extent  of  the 
south-west  frontier  of  the  Bengal  Presidency ;  while,  for  the 
security  of  the  Deccan,  the  subsidiary  forces  of  the  Nizam  and 
Peshwa  were  annually  obliged  to  move  to  the  northern  frontier 
of  their  respective  territories;  notwithstanding  which  precautions 


316  THE   PINDARRIES. 


the  dominions  of  those  States  were  constantly  penetrated  and 
overrun  by  the  mauraudcrs." 

These  Pindarries  did  not  pretend  to  cope  "with  Governments, 
or  to  establish  themselves  in  the  i-egions  they  invaded;  their  ob- 
ject was  general  rapine;  they  preyed  upon  the  people  at  large; 
their  form  and  constitution  were  framed  with  a  view  to  this  ex- 
clusive purpose,  and  when  they  had  fulfilled  the  object  of  their 
excursion,  they  retired,  as  they  had  approached,  like  robbers. 

In  1814,  the  Supreme  Government  of  India,  alarmed  at  the 
formidable  and  still  augmenting  power  of  these  predatory  associa- 
tions, made  representations  to  the  home  authorities,  and  requested 
their  sanction  to  a  systematic  combination  of  measures  for  the 
suppression  of  the  evil.  Some  treaties  were  set  on  foot  by  the 
English  with  various  neighbouring  Indian  Princes  who  might 
have  guarded  the  approaches  to  our  territories  and  those  of  our 
allies;  but  their  jealousies,  and  a  covert  design  of  forming  a 
general  combination  of  the  Mahratta  powers  against  us,  defeated 
the  negotiations,  when  under-defensive  measures  were  taken  by 

ourselves. 

These  measures,  however,  could  not  prevent  a  bodj'  of  nearly 

eight  thousand  of  Cheetoo's  Pindarries  from  crossing  the  Ner- 
budda  in  October  1815;  after  which  passage  they  broke  up  into 
two  parties.  Major  Eraser,  indeed,  with  three  hundred  native 
disciplined  infantry,  and  a  hundred  irregular  horse,  surprised 
them  in  a  bivouac,  and  made  them  suffer  some  loss  before  they 
could  mount,  gallop  off,  and  disperse.  But  this  did  not  deter 
them  from  continuing  their  depredations  as  far  as  the  banks  of 
the  Kishna.  The  other  party,  which  had  met  with  no  such  mo- 
lestation, traversed  the  vast  territory  of  our  ally  the  Nizam,  from 
north  to  south,  and  also  appeared  most  unexpectedly  on  the  banks 
of  the  Kishna.  The  territories  of  our  Madras  Presidency  lay  on 
the  other  side  of  the  river,  and  were  saved  from  devastation 
only  by  the  fortuitous  circumstance  of  the  river's  continuing  not 
fordable  for  horses  so  unusually  late  as  the  20th  of  November. 
"  The  fyeebooters  then  took  a  turn  eastward,  plundering  the 
country  for  several  miles  along  the  populous  and  fertile  bank  of 


THE   PINDARRIES.  317 


tbe  river,  and  committing  every  kind  of  enormity.  On  approach- 
ing the  frontier  of  Masulipatam,  they  shaped  their  course  north- 
ward, and  returned  along  the  line  of  the  Godavaree  and  Wurda, 
passing  to  the  east  of  all  the  English  defensive  positions,  and 
making  good  their  route  to  Nemawur,  (their  head-quarter,  where 
their  chief  Cheetoo  expected  their  return,)  with  an  immense 
booty  collected  in  the  Nizam's  dominions,  and  with  utter  impu- 
nity." The  plunder  obtained  in  this  luhbur,  or  raid,  was  said 
to  be  greater  than  that  of  any  previous  expedition. 

"Elated  at  this  success,  a  second  expedition  was  planned  and 
proclaimed  by  Cheetoo  very  soon  after  the  return  of  the  first. 
Pindarries  again  flocked  in  from  every  Durra  to  join  in  it;  and 
by  the  5th  of  February  1816,  ten  thousand,  under  different 
leaders,  had  again  crossed  from  Nemawur." 

This  time  the  Company's  territory  did  not  escape.  After 
marches  of  extraordinary  rapidity,  the  freebooters  arrived  at  our 
civil  station  of  Guutoor,  on  the  12th  of  March,  having  plun- 
dered and  massacred  during  the  whole  of  their  journey. 

"  The  government  treasure  here,  and  the  persons  of  the 
British  residents  were  protected  at  the  collector's  office  by  the 
exertions  of  a  few  troops  and  invalids  kept  at  the  station  for 
civil  duties.  It  being  no  part  of  the  design  of  the  Pindarries  to 
risk  the  loss  of  time  or  lives,  they  immediately  moved  off  with 
what  they  could  get;  and  before  night  there  was  not  a  single 
strange  horseman  iu  the  neighbourhood.  The  whole  had  hur- 
ried off  westward,  making  a  march  of  fifty-two  miles  in  that  di- 
rection the  next  day.  This  body  of  marauders  continued,  on 
the  whole  twelve  days  within  the  company's  frontier;  and 
after  leaving  Guntoor,  swept  through  part  of  the  Kupa  district, 
and  recrossed  the  Dishna  on  the  22d  of  March.  A  squadron  of 
the  Madras  4th  Native  cavalry  arrived  on  the  opposite  bank  of 
the  river,  just  after  they  had  made  good  their  passage.  A  con- 
siderable force  was  in  the  field  a  little  to  the  west,  but  thoujrh  it 
sent  out  detachments  in  every  direction,  and  others  were  de- 
spatched from  Hyderabad  in  their  rear,  the  plunderers  escaped 
from  all  with  impunity.     After  recrossing  the  Kishna,  the  luh- 


27* 


318  THE    PINDARRIES. 


bur  seems  by  agreement  to  have  separated  into  several  bodies, 
in  order  the  better  to  baffle  pursuit  and  scour  the  country." 

In  a  manner  that  seems  almost  incredible,  they  perfectly  suc- 
ceeded in  both ;  and  ''it  was  ascertained  that  nearly  the  whole 
of  those  Pindarries  who  had  passed  the  Nerbudda  in  February 
had  recrossed  before  the  17th  of  May,  bringing  a  second  im- 
mense harvest  of  booty  within  the  year,  and  without  having  suf- 
fered any  loss  worthy  of  mention.  Some  idea  may  be  formed 
of  the  extent  of  ravage  and  cruelty  which  marked  the  track  of 
these  banditti,  from  what  was  found  to  be  the  damage  sustained 
by  the  company's  districts  during  the  twelve  days  that  they  re- 
mained within  the  frontier.  It  was  ascertained  by  a  committee, 
sent  to  the  spot  for  the  express  purpose  of  investigating,  that 
three  hundred  and  thirty-nine  villages  had  been  plundered,  one 
hundred  and  eighty-two  individuals  put  to  a  cruel  death,  five 
hundred  and  five  severely  wounded,  and  no  less  than  three 
thousand  six  hundred  and  three  had  been  subjected  to  difierent 
kinds  of  torture. 

Unable  as  they  had  been  to  intercept  them  in  their  retreat, 
the  British,  having  taken  the  most  energetic  measures,  appeared 
on  the  banks  of  the  Nerbudda,  which  may  be  considered  as  the 
frontier  river  of  the  Pindarries,  to  prevent  any  further  incur- 
sions on  their  part,  by  the  month  of  October  following. 

This  first  appearance  of  a  British  army  (weak  though  it  was) 
in  the  valley  of  the  Nerbudda,  spread  consternation  amongst  the 
Pindarries ;  and  the  leader  Cheetoo,  who  occupied  a  cantonment 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  immediately  withdrew  with  all 
his  own  durra. 

Emboldened,  however,  by  observing  that  the  English  did  not 
cross  the  Nerbudda  to  attack  them,  the  Pindarries,  after  sufi'ering 
some  weeks  of  abeyance,  came  to  the  resolution  of  pushing 
small  parties  across  the  river,  which  were  to  insinuate  themselves 
between  the  posts,  or  to  turn  the  flanks  of  the  British  line,  when 
they  were  to  pursue  the  same  system  of  predatory  incursion  as 
before.  In  their  first  attempt  the  robbers  were  beaten  back,  but 
on  the  13th  of  November,  while  Ghcetuo  remained   in  force   to 


THE   PINDARRIES.  319 


the  west,  large  bodies  moved  with  their  usual  rapidit}'-,  up  the 
river  to  the  east,  and  upwards  of  five  thousand  passed  the 
river  in  sight  of  the  infantry  post,  on  the  extreme  right  of  the 
British  line  with  a  rapidity  of  movement  which  baffled  the  ef- 
forts of  the  infantry  to  impede  or  harass  their  march.  In  this 
manner  the  passage  was  effected  by  others  in  sufficient  numbers 
to  form  two  luhburs  or  expeditions.  Owing  to  the  admirable  ar- 
rangements made,  and  to  the  almost  equally  wonderful  activity 
of  the  British,  and  to  sundry  other  causes,  these  raids  were  far 
from  being  so  successful  as  the  preceding.  An  immense  num- 
ber of  the  Pindarries  were  beaten  and  thrown  back  in  their  ad- 
vance ;  other  hosts  cut  off  in  their  retreat !  and  we  must  enter- 
tain a  despicable  •uotiou  of  their  bravery,  when  we  see  them 
continually  fleeing  from  a  handful  of  men,  and  beaten  every 
time  they  are  met  with.  Still,  however,  their  depredations  this 
year  embraced  a  more  ample  expanse  of  territory  than  had  ever 
before  been  attempted,  extending  from  shore  to  shore  of  the 
peninsula  of  India,  and  including  the  intermediate  provinces 
they  had  omitted  the  preceding  year. 

The  following  year  (1817),  after  making  several  unsuccessful 
attempts  at  incursions,  the  Pindarries  were  hard  pressed  by  the 
British  and  their  allies,  who,  under  Sir  John  Malcolm,  General 
Marshall,  and  Colonel  Adams,  crossed  the  Nerbudda  about  the 
middle  of  November,  and  drove  the  freebooters  entirely  out  of 
their  usual  haunts.  Chcetoo  retreated  westward  with  his  accus- 
tomed celerity  towards  Holkur's  forces  which  had  already  taken 
the  field.  Holkur  received  him  with  friendship  and  distinction, 
admitting  him  to  an  audience,  and  allovring  him  to  pitch  his  camp 
close  to  his  own.  The  robber  could  not,  however,  long  enjoy 
the  benefit  of  this  alliance,  for  Holkur  was  induced  to  conclude  a 
friendly  treaty  with  the  British.  Immediately  after  this,  as 
Cheetoo  was  considered  the  most  dangerous  of  the  Pindarry 
chiefs.  Sir  William  Keir,  with  a  fresh  division  of  the  British 
army,  was  sent  in  pursuit  of  him,  and  succeeded  in  partially  cut- 
ting up  his  durra  in  the  neighbourhood  of  SatooUa. 

Harassed  by  the  activity  of  Sir  William's  pursuit,  the  marau- 


320  THE   PINDARRIES. 


ders  endeavoured  to  retrace  their  steps  to  their  haunts  in  Malwa, 
and  in  the  valley  of  the  Nerbudda.  Cheetoo  succeeded  in 
baffling  every  eifort  made  to  overtake  him,  and  effected  his 
object  by  penetrating  through  a  most  difficult  country  to 
the  south  of  Mewur.  He  suddenly  reappeared  near  Dhar, 
where  a  very  high  range  of  hills  sends  forth  the  streams  which 
form  the  Mhye,  a  considerable  river,  emptying  itself  into  the 
Gulf  of  Kambay.  lu  this  extraordinary  march  he  was  obliged 
to  disencumber  himself  of  his  baggage,  and  lost  many  of  his 
horses. 

He  was  now  lost  sight  of  for  some  time.  Meanwhile  the 
best  of  his  fellow-chiefs  with  their  durras,  had  been  annihilated 
by  the  British.  As  for  his  own  durra,  though  it  had  suffered 
much  in  detail,  it  was  still  strong,  having,  under  his  wonderful 
guidance,  escaped  a  rencontre  with  any  of  the  British  forces  in 
the  open  held.  But  his  active  enemies  were  gathering  closer  and 
closer  around  his  last  lair,  and  were  no  longer  to  be  avoided. 

On  the  night  of  the  25th  of  January,  1818,  a  strong  party  of 
the  British  came  upon  him  near  Kurnod,  and  utterly  broke  up 
his  band.  The  Bheels  and  Grasseas  (robbers  by  birth,  education, 
and  profession,  but  "  petty-larceny  rascals  "  compared  to  the 
Pindarries)  were  encouraged  to  plunder  and  destroy  the  fugitives 
— a  commission  they  executed  with  becoming  zeal ! 

Cheetoo,  however,  escaped  Bheels  and  Grasseas,  as  he  liad  so 
often  the  English,  and  for  a  short  time  wandered  about  Malwa, 
with  some  two  hundred  followers.  His  affairs,  however,  became 
every  day  more  desperate.  Sir  John  Malcolm,  in  his  account 
of  Malwa,  gives  the  following  little  anecdote  regarding  Cheetoo, 
precisely  at  this  time  of  his  extreme  difficulties.  (It  must  be  re- 
membered that  the  sea  is  called  by  all  the  natives  of  central 
India,  "  Kala  Panee "  (black  water,)  and  that  they  have  the 
most  terrible  ideas  of  it  and  the  countries  beyond  it.) 

"When  Cheetoo,  the  Pindarry  chief  was  flying  in  hopeless 
misery  from  the  English,  he  was  often  advised  by  his  followers 
to  surrender  to  their  mercy.  He  was  possessed,  however,  by 
tbe  dreadful  idea  that  they  would  transport  him  beyond  the  seas, 


THE    PINDARHIES.  321 


and  tliis  was  more  hideous  to  him  than  death.  These  followers, 
who  all,  one  after  another,  came  in  and  obtained  pardon,  related, 
that  during  their  Captain's  short  and  miserable  sleep,  he  used 
continually  to  murmur  "Kala  panee  !  kala  panee!"  (the  Black 
Sea  !  0,  the  Black  Sea  1) 

"  At  this  conjuncture,  it  struck  Cheetoo  that  the  Nuwab  of 
Bhopal,  one  of  our  allies,  might  make  terms  for  himself  and  his 
few  remaining  followers  with  the  English;  and  rapidly  acting  on 
this  idea,  he  suddenly  entered  the  camp  of  the  Nuwab,  who  was 
astonished  beyond  measure  at  his  boldness. 

"But  when  Cheetoo  learned  from  the  Nuwab  that  he  had  no- 
thing to  oifer,  beyond  a  slender  personal  maintenance  in  some 
distant  part  of  Ilindostan,  while  he  demanded  a  Jageer  in  Malwa, 
and  the  entertainment  of  himself  and  men  in  the  British  service, 
he  decamped  as  suddenly  as  he  had  come.  "While  he  stayed,  his 
horses  were  constantly  saddled,  and  the  men  slept  with  their 
bridles  in  their  hands,  ready  to  fly  instantly,  in  case  of  an  at- 
tempt to  seize  them.  Preparations  were  making  for  the  pur- 
pose, the  very  night  he  went  off;  but  he  was  too  well  on 
his  guard,  and  too  much  alive  to  suspicion,  to  allow  them 
to  be  completed.  He  was,  however,  instantly  pursued  by  the 
Nuwab'rf  people ;  and  General  Malcolm  also  sent  out  parties  to 
take  him,  which  distressed  him  so  much  that  Rajun,  one  of  his 
most  faithful  and  valuable  adherents,  left  him  and  made  his  sub- 
mission. Yet  Cheetoo  subsequently  found  his  way  into  Kandes 
and  the  Deccan,  and  made  common  cause  with  the  marauding: 
Arabs  and  chiefs  of  the  Peshwa's  routed  army,  with  whom  he 
became  assimilated,  receiving  occasional  protection  from  the  Ki- 
lader  of  the  fortress  of  Aseerguhr.  His  durra  was  now  com- 
pletely destroyed,  his  followers,  one  by  one,  had  almost  entirely 
deserted  him,  but  nothing  could  subdue  the  robber's  spirit,  or 
induce  him  to  surrender.  His  end,  however,  approached,  and  it 
was  tragical  and  singular.  Having  joined  Apa-Saheb,  he  passed 
the  rainy  season  of  1818  in  the  mountainous  heights  of  the  Mo- 
hadeo  range;  and  upon  that  chief's  expulsion,  in  February,  1819j, 
accompanied  him  to  the  fort  of  Aseerguhr,     Being  refused   acl« 


322  THE    nXDARRIES. 


mittance  to  the  fort,  he  sought  shelter  in  a  neighbouring  jungle?, 
and,  on  horseback  and  alone,  attempted  to  penetrate  a  thick 
cover,  known  to  be  infested  by  tigers.  He  was  missed  for  some 
days  after,  and  no  one  knew  v/hat  had  become  of  him.  His  horse 
was  discovered  grazing,  near  the  margin  of  the  forest,  saddled 
and  bridled,  and  exactly  in  the  state  in  which  it  was  when  Chee- 
too  had  last  been  seen  upon  it.  Upon  search,  a  bag  of  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  rupees  was  found  in  the  saddle ;  and  several  seal 
lings,  with  some  letters  of  Apa-Saheb,  promising  future  reward, 
served  more  completely  to  fix  the  identity  of  the  horse's  late 
master.  These  circumstances,  combined  with  the  known  resort  of 
tigers  to  the  spot,  induced  a  search  for  the  body,  when,  at  no 
great  distance,  some  clothes  clotted  with  blood,  and,  further  on, 
fragments  of  bones,  and  at  last  the  robber's  head  entire,  with  the 
features  in  a  state  to  be  ic;cognized,  were  successively  discovered. 
The  chief's  mangled  remains  were  given  over  to  his  son  for  in- 
terment, and  the  miserable  fiito  of  one,  who  so  shortly  before  had 
ridden  at  the  head  of  twenty  thousand  horse,  gave  an  awful  les- 
son of  the  uncertainty  of  fortune,  and  drew  pity  even  from  those 
who  had  been  the  victims  of  hi.'?  barbarity  when  living." 

This  Eastern  robber  had  himself  outlived  the  curious  but 
abominable  association  to  v/iridi  he  had  belonged.  Their  name, 
and  the  melancholy  traces  of  their  devastation,  which  arc  fast 
disappearing  under  re-established  order  and  industry,  are  all  that 
remain  of  the  Pindarrics,  whose  dis-apparition  from  the  scenes 
of  India  cannot  be  more  appropriately  described  than  in  the  words 
of  Sir  John  Malcolm,  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the  account 
of  their  rise  and  institutions,  and  who  was  himself  the  principal 
agent  in  bringing  about  their  fall. 

"  There  now,"  says  that  gallant  officer  and  able  writer,  "  re- 
mains not  a  spot  in  India  that  a  Pindarry  can  call  his  home. 
They  have  been  hunted  like  wild  beasts;  numbers  have  been 
killed;  all  ruined.  Those  who  adopted  their  cause  have  fallen. 
They  were  early  in  the  contest  shunned  like  a  contagion,  and 
even  the  timid  villagers,  whom  they  so  recently  oppressed,  were 
•*raong   the   foremost  to   attack  tliem.      Their  principal  lea^dora 


THE   riNDARRlES.  323 


have  either  died,  submitted,  or  been  made  captives;  while  their 
followers,  with  the  cseoption  of  a  few,  whom  the  liberality  and 
consideration  of  the  British  Government  have  aided  to  become 
industrious,  are  lost  in  (hat  population  from  whose  dross  they 
originally  issued.  A  minute  investigation  only  can  discover 
these  once  formidable  disturbers,  concealed  as  they  now  are, 
among  the  lowest  classes,  where  they  are  making  some  amends 
for  past  atrocities,  by  the  benefit  which  is  derived  from  their 
l.ibour  in  restoring  trade  and  cultivation.  These  freebooters  had 
none  of  the  prejudices  of  caste,  for  they  belonged  to  all  tribes. 
They  never  had  either  the  pride  of  soldiers,  of  family,  or  of 
country,  so  that  they  vi'cro  bound  by  none  of  those  ties,  which, 
among  many  of  the  comnuinities  in  India,  assume  an  almost  in- 
destructible character.  Other  plunderers  may  arise  from  distem- 
pered times;  but  as  a  body,  the  Pindarries  are  so  effectually  de- 
stroyed, that  their  name  is  already  almost  forgotten,  though  not 
five  year.s  a;c  passed  since  it  spread  terror  and  dismay  over  all 
India." 


m-r 


Imm 


"vte^ 


•^^  \''A~~-^--'^  ""^-^ 


THE    ROIIILLA. 


THE   HIGHLANDERS   OF   INDIA,  OR  THE  ROIIILLA 

ROBRERS. 


The  following  account,  -which  is  from  the  pen  of  the  lamented 
Bishop  Hober,  is  replete  with  interest,  and  offers  one  passage, 
than  which  nothing  can  well  be  more  im.prepsive  and  dramatic. 
It  is,  moreover,  strictly  confirmatory  of  what  has  been  oftentimes 
advanced  :  that,  as  justice  and  mildness  of  government  wean  men 
from  rapine  and  crime,  so  do  tyranny  and  oppression  drive  men 
to  them  ;  and  when,  under  the  latter  circumstances,  the  nature 
of  the  country  is  favourable,  abounding  in  forests  and  mountain 
recesses,  and  touching  on  the  confines  of  another  State,  an 
extensive  system  of  brigandage  will  almost  invariably  result. 

'The  (.(liiqucst  of  Rohilcund  by  the  English,  and  the  death  of 
its  chief  in  battle,  its  consequent  cession  to  the  Nuwab  of  Oudc, 
and  the  horrible  manner  in  which  Sujah  ud  Dowlah  oppressed 
and  misgoverned  it,  form  one  of  the  worst  chapters  of  English 
history  in  India.  They  have  since  made  the  llohillas  some 
(324) 


THE  ROIIILLA.  325 


amends  by  taking  them  away  from  Oudc,  and  governing  them 
themselves ;  but,  by  all  that  I  could  learn,  the  people  appear 
by  no  means  to  have  forgotten  or  forgiven  their  first  in- 
juries." 

Their  insubordination  and  violence  are  favoured  by  the  nature 
of  the  locality  just  alluded  to — their  province  is  in  the  immedi- 
ate neighbourhood  of  Oude,  and  a  vast  forest  exists  along  the 
whole  of  their  eastern,  southern,  and  northern  frontiers. 

"  In  this  forest  a  great  Rohilla  robber,  or  rebel  chief,  is  by 
many  supposed  to  have  lurked  the  last  seven  years,  for  whose 
apprehension  Government  have  vainly  offered  no  less  a  sum  than 
10,000  rupees.  Many  robberies  are,  certainly  still  perpetrated 
in  his  name ;  but  the  opinion  of  the  magistrates  at  Shahjehan- 
poor  is,  that  the  man  is  really  dead,  and  that  his  name  only,  like 
that  of  Captain  Rock,  remains  as  the  rallying  point  of  mutiny. 
The  military  officers  of  our  dinner-party  had  often  been  in  this 
forest,  which  they  describe  as  extensive,  and  in  some  places 
very  picturesque,  with  some  few  tracts  of  high  land,  whence, 
even  in  this  neighbourhood,  the  snowy  range  of  Himalaya  is 
visible. 

"The  Rohilla  insurgents  are  usually  very  faithful  to  each 
other,  and,  as  in  Oude  there  is  neither  police  nor  pursuit,  it  very 
seldom  happens,  if  they  once  escape,  that  they  can  be  laid  hold 
of  afterwards.  One  of  the  most  notorious  of  them,  who  had  long 
eluded  justice,  came  into  the  hands  of  Government  not  long 
since,  under  very  singular  circumstances.  Pie  had  passed  over 
into  Oude,  and  bought  a  zemindarrie  there,  which  was  last  year 
seized  on,  under  circumstances  of  excessive  injustice,  by  the  ser- 
vants of  the  king's  favourite,  who,  at  the  same  time,  carried  off 
one  of  his  wives.  The  zemindar,  equally  highly-spirited  and 
desperate  with  Hamilton  of  Bothwellhaugh  under  similar  circum- 
stances, rode  immediately  to  Lucknow,  scaled  by  the  assistance 
of  his  servants,  the  wall  of  the  minister's  private  garden,  and 
waited  there  well  armed,  but  alone,  till  his  enemy  should  make 
his  appearance.     The  minister  did  not  himself  appear,  but  his 

28 


326  THE    ROHILLA. 


two  youngest  sons  came  out  to  walk  with  their  ayahs.*     Th*?  Ko- 
hilla  knew  them,  pounced  on  them  like  a  tiger,  and  holding  them 
between  his  knees,  told  the  terrified  women   to   go  and  call  their 
master.     The  palace  was  soon  in  an  uproar,  but  he  sat  still,  with 
his  back  against  the  wall,  the  infants  under  his  knees,  and  a  pis- 
tol in  each  hand,  calling  out,  '  Draw  near  and   they  are   both 
dead.'     The  minister  wept  and   tore   his  flesh,  promising  him 
every  thing  if  he  would  let  them  go;  to  which  he  answered,  'The 
restoration  of  my  wife,  my  own  safety,  and  the  guarantee  of  the 
British  Resident  for  both  !'     The  Rohilla's  woman  was  immedi- 
ately brought  out,  and  the  minister  went  like   one   frantic  to  the 
English  residency,  begging,  for   God's   sake,  either  Mr.  Rickets 
or  Major  Eapcr  to  go  with   him.     The  latter  went,  and  the  Ro- 
hilla,   after  a   horrible   pause,  in  which   he  seemed   still   to  be 
weighing  the  sweetness  of  revenge  against  the  promises  held  out 
to  him,   rose,  took   his  wife  by  the  hand,   and  led   her   away. 
He  was  not,  however,  satisfied  with  the  security  of  his  continu 
ance  in  Oude,  but  soon  after  surrendered  himself  to  the  British 
saying  that  he  must  look  forward  to  a  confinement  of  some  time, 
but  he  preferred  their   severities   to  the   tender  mercies  of  the 
minister,  who,  in   spite  of  his  promises,  had,  ho  was  convinced, 
already  laid  snares  for  him.     He  is  now  a  prisoner  in  the  castlt; 
of  Allahabad,  but  it  is  generally  believed  tliat  he  has  made   his 
peace,  and  that  his  confinement  will   not  be  a  long   one,  thouo-h 
his  offences  before  were  serious  enou£;h." 

The  sepoys  that  are  scattered  iu  strong  detachnients  up  and 
down  this  lawless  district,  have  generally,  plenty  of  work  on  their 
hands,  what  with  the  wilfulness  of  the  Rohillas  in  refusing  to 
attend  to  the  decrees  or  decisions  of  Government,  iu  matters  of 
disputed  property,  and  "an  inveterate  habit  of  'lifting'  cows  and 
sheep,  which  the  beggarly  zemindars  and  idle  long-legged  '  gil- 
lies '  of  one  village  are  apt  to  feel  a  pride  in  exercising  against 
those  of  the  next." 

The    Rohillas   seem   particularly  addicted    to  horse  stealings 

*  Nurses  or  governesses. 


THE   ROIIILLA. 


327 


and  to  long-tailed  Loiscs.  "Take  care  of  that  long-tailed 
horse  of  yourS !"  was  the  first  caution  the  Bishop  received. 
"  Keep  him  carefully  at  night,  under  the  sentry's  eye,  or  you 
vi-ill  never  carry  him  over  the  ferry  of  Anopshehr  I"  The 
second  horse  of  the  amiable  prelate's  being  a  short-tailed  one, 
v;as  supposed  to  be  safe. 


AJ^^^ 


THE    TIGER    OF    INDIA. 


The  hunting  of  the  tiger  is  fully  as  dangerous  and  exciting  a 
sport  as  that  of  the  wild  buffalo,  and  is  usually  conducted  in 
India  on  a  magnificent  scale,  dogs,  horses,  elephants,  with  the 
huntsman  in  howdahs  on  their  backs,  and  attendants  of  various 
kinds  to  beat  the  bushes,  all  composing  a  large  and  powerful 
cavalcade.  In  these  grand  hunting  matches,  the  elephants  often 
do  important  service,  for,  loaded  as  they  are  with  armed  men, 
they  will  rush  into  the  jungle  upon  the  wounded  tiger,  and  trans- 
fix him  to  the  earth  with  their  tusks.  Occasionally  to  relieve  the 
tedium  of  existence  at  the  British  out-stations,  this  ferocious 
animal  is  hunted  by  one  or  two  gentlemen  armed  with  rifles,  and 
either  mounted  or  dismounted,  as  suits  their  fancy,  or  the  nature 
of  the  countr3^ 

A  short  time  ago,  a  young  officer  arriving  at  one  of  these  sta- 
tions in  the  upper  country,  was  eager  in  his  inquiries,  whether 
there  were  any  tigers  to  be  met  with  in  the  neighbourhood,  and 
he  was  informed  that  certainly  tigers  existed  in  no  inconsiderable 
numbers,  but  that,  from  the  nature  .of  the  country,  it  \yas  im- 
possible to  get  at  them.  This  intimation  was  of  course  unheeded 
(328) 


THE    TIGER   OF   INDIA.  329 


by  an  ardent  and  enterprising  spirit,  pleased  with  the  idea  of 
overcoming  difficulties.  The  country  was  exceedingly  hilly;  yet 
determined  upon  ascertaining  whether  it  would  be  practicable 
to  employ  elephants,  they  were  mustered  for  the  campaign. 
However,  after  getting  over  several  very  dangerous  passes,  it  be- 
came necessary  to  relinquish  the  attempt.  It  became  now  cer- 
tain, that,  unless  a  tiger  could  be  decoyed  into  the  plains,  there 
could  be  no  chance  for  the  sportsman  with  elephants.  This, 
however,  proved  a  forlorn  hope.  The  tigers,  as  if  perfectly 
aware  of  the  security  of  their  position,  never  quitted  the  hills 
during  the  day,  stealing  down  to  the  water  below  only  amid  the 
silence  and  darkness  of  the  night.  It  became,  therefore,  a  mat- 
ter of  certainty  that  the  attack,  if  made  at  all,  must  be  made 
long  after  daylight  had  departed.  A  morning's  tour  round  a 
neighbouring  lake  added  to  this  conviction,  for  the  inspector  ob- 
served some  fresh  tracks  of  tigers,  and,  on  inquiring  among  the 
villagers,  was  told  that  he  might  meet  with  tigers  any  night  that 
he  chose  to  look  for  them  round  Kalingur,  the  name  of  the  lake 
in  question.  From  that  moment  he  resolved  on  trying  the  effect 
of  notcturnal  excursions,  but  the  method  of  proceeding  puzzled 
him  not  a  little.  Upon  such  occasions,  a  platform  is  usually  con- 
structed in  a  tree ;  but  here  were  no  trees,  no  bushes,  not  even 
a  blade  of  grass,  to  afford  shelter  and  concealment,  the  ground 
round  about  being  perfectly  bare  and  arid.  What  was  therefore 
to  be  done  ? — the  sportsman  must  either  plant  himself  upon  this 
exposed  plain,  or  get  no  tiger.  The  idea  of  encountering  a  tiger 
on  foot,  with  the  odds  so  much  in  favour  of  the  quadruped,  at 
the  dreary  hour  of  night,  was  rather  appalling,  and  our  enterpri- 
sing friend  hesitated ;  but  he  could,  not  resolve  to  abandon  the 
project,  the  same  spirit  which  animated  the  chivalry  of  the  olden 
time  urged  him  to  the  conflict.  He  was  a  first-rate  shot,  and, 
should  his  nerves  not  fail  him,  he  felt  certain  that  the  ball  would 
tell;  but  as  they  had  never  been  so  severely  tried  before,  there 
was  no  saying  whether  they  would  abide  the  test. 

The  attempt  was,   however,  to  be  made;  and  the   resolution 
once  taken  it  never  swerved.     The  lake  already  named,  lay  at 

28* 


330  THE    TIGER    OF    ]:sDIA. 


the  distance  of  six  miles  from  tlie  sportsraau's  bungalow.  The  real 
to  it  being  througli  a  heavy  jungle,  it  v,rs.  necessary,  in  order  to 
reach  it  in  proper  time,  a  little  after  sunset,  to  make  an  early  de- 
parture. A  young  Mussulman  servant,  a  mere  lad,  who  was 
fortunately  not  very  easily  daunted,  carried  tbe  ammunition,  and 
shared  in  the  vigil.  The  fir.st  excursion  was  made  in  the 
month  of  April,  after  a  parching  day  of  hot  winds.  The 
sportsman  chose  his  position  with  all  the  advantages  that 
circumstances  would  admit ;  he  fronted  the  hills,  with  his 
back  towards  the  lake,  which  prevented  any  attack  in  the 
rear,  and  would  aiiord  a  place  of  retreat  in  case  of  necessity, 
.a  rush  into  the  water  being  the  dernier  resort.  On  the 
first  night  the  vigil  was  uninterrupted,  at  least  by  a  tiger; 
other  animals  came  down  to  drink,  but  they  were  suffered  to  pass 
unmolested.  The  situation  had  been  rather  a  nervous  one,  and 
the  return  of  the  morning  was  hailed  with  proportionate  delight. 
A  few  evenings  subsequently,  the  sportsman  was  again  at  his 
post;  he  had  now  become  familiar  with  the  scene  and  with  the 
danger,  and  experienced  the  composure  which  results  from  feel- 
ing, as  it  were,  at  home;  the  strangeness  at  least  had  worn  off. 
The  hour  for  the  moon's  rising  was  ten,  and,  not  expecting  to  be 
called  into  action  before  it  made  its  appearance,  the  sentinel 
had  scarcely  braced  his  energies  to  the  task,  wbeU;  a  little 
after  dusk,  he  plainly  perceived  some  large  animal  approach- 
ing the  water.  Upon  reaching  it,  it  stopped,  apparently 
to  drink.  "What  a  moment !  how  inadequate  are  words  to  express 
the  sensations  crowding  upon  the  adventurer's  heart,  and  how 
impossible  to  imagine  them  by  those  who  have  never  been  placed 
in  a  situation  of  similar  peril !  A  deadly  silence  prevailed,  not 
even  a  whisper  passing  between  the  officer  and  his  almost  breath- 
less attendant.  Grasping  the  faithful  rifle  firmly,  he  placed  his 
finger  on  the  trigger,  ready  to  deliver  the  deadly  charge.  Who 
shall  say  what  passed  in  the  breast  of  the  person  thus  fear- 
fully placed  ?  What  worlds  he  might  not  have  given  for  a 
change  of  situation  !  yet  was  the  excitement  even  ^  that  mo- 
ment mingled  with  a  strange  kind  of  delight !     Many  seconds 


THE   TIGER   OF   INDIA.  331 


were  not  allowed  for  reflection,  for  it  soon  became  necessary  to 
act ;  there  was  a  possibility  that  the  animal  taken  for  a  tiger 
might  only  be  one  of  the  elk  species.  But  the  worst  must  be 
prepared  for,  and  that  speedily.  After  the  animal  had  refi'cshcd 
himself  at  the  lake,  he  appeared  to  be  moving  in  the  direction 
of  the  sportsman  ;  but  as  the  evening  had  considerably  advanced, 
^e  could  not  at  first  distinguish  clearly;  a  very  brief  interval, 
however,  sufficed  to  convince  him  of  the  truth  of  the  conjecture. 
Twice  the  gun  was  brought  up  to  the  position  of  firing,  and  twice, 
in  the  excited  state  of  his  imagination,  the  marksman  fancied  he 
heard  a  voice  whisper,  "  Not  yet,  not  yet."  He  obeyed  the 
warning,  if  such  it  were.  In  another  moment  the  animal  ap- 
peared to  have  changed  his  direction.  It  had  approached  within 
a  dozen  yards,  and  for  the  last  time  the  gun  was  raised,  aimed 
steadily  at  the  centre  of  the  moving  mass,  and  without  the 
slightest  hesitation,  fired.  For  the  first  time  since  the  appear- 
ance of  the  game,  silence  was  now  broken  by  the  attendant,  who 
exclaimed,  "  A  large  tiger,  sir  ?"  Inquiring  how  he  could  be 
certain  of  the  description  of  the  animal,  he  observed,  that,  from 
the  flash  in  the  pan,  the  gun  having  a  flint,  he  had  plainly  seen 
the  tiger,  and  so  to  his  mastci-'s  great  delight  it  proved;  for 
upon  the  rising  of  the  moon,  the  tawny  monarch  was  seen  pinned 
down  upon  the  very  spot  which  he  had  occupied  at  the  discharge 
of  the  fatal  shot.  This  exploit  was  duly  appreciated  by  the 
neighbouring  villagers ;  and  the  fallen  foe  securely  padded  on 
an  elephant,  made  the  round  of  the  European  dwellings  on  the 
following  morning,  in  a  sort  of  triumph  or  ovation.  AVith  con- 
fidence, strengthened  by  good  fortune,  other  attempts  were  made 
upon  the  same  spot,  and  with  equal  success. 

In  the  vicinity  of  a  neighbouring  village,  called  Manpoora, 
which  is  situated  in  a  small  valley  surrounded  with  hills  and 
thick  jungle,  dwelt  in  solitary  grandeur  a  monster  of  a  tiger, 
who  had  become  as  well  known  as  the  village  itself,  and  who  had 
for  several  years  past  been  permitted  to  remain  undisturbed,  in 
consequence  of  his  having  bafllcd  every  efl"ort  made  by  parties 
who  had  at  diflerent  times  gone  out  against  him.     Thus  left  to 


332  THE    TIGER    OF   INDIA. 


himself  lie  had  continued  his  depredations  with  impunity,  d^d. 
had  become  the  terror  of  the  inhabitants  for  many  miles  round. 
To  bag  this  fellow,  as  it  is  termed  in  sporting  phrase,  was  now 
the  ruling  desire  of  our  hero's  heart,  not  only  on  account  of  the 
report  which  described  him  as  being  an  enormous  beast,  but 
more  especially  from  the  circumstance  of  his  having  hitherto 
bade  defiance  to  those  sportsmen  who  had  sought  him  in  the 
field ;  vanity  being  mingled  with  that  noble  emulation  necessary 
to  the  pei'formance  of  great  deeds.  Near  to  the  village  above 
described,  runs  a  beautiful  little  hill-stream,  shallow,  but  clear 
as  crystal,  and  a  place  very  likely  to  be  chosen  for  the  nightly 
promenades  of  the  monarch  of  the  waste.  The  villagers  agree- 
ing in  this  opinion,  the  young  adventurer  lost  no  time  in  looking 
out  for  a  convenient  position.  The  people  of  Manpoora,  inte- 
rested in  the  issue  of  the  enterprise,  and  satisfied  after  the 
death  of  the  Kalingur  tiger  that  the  person  who  performed  that 
notable  exploit  was  equal  to  a  second  of  the  same  nature,  often 
gave  notice  of  the  movements  of  the  animal ;  but  some  time 
elapsed  before  the  tiger's  plan  of  operations  could  be  fully  made 
out.  Three  or  four  nights  were  passed  on  the  banks  of  the 
Manpoora  water  without  success  :  for,  though  it  was  ascertained 
that  the  tiger  had  been  either  prowling  above  or  below  the  scene 
of  the  vigil,  he  did  not  show  himself,  and,  tired  out  with  these 
fruitless  attempts,  the  sportsman  reluctantly  relinquished  his 
visits.  One  afternoon,  however,  three  villagers,  in  breathless 
haste,  appeared  at  the  European  station ;  they  had  run  fast  and 
fiir,  and  could  scarcely,  after  holding  up  their  hands,  and  beckon- 
ing to  the  sportsman,  Avho  happened  to  be  riding  in  a  contrary  direc- 
tion, to  stop,  relate  the  cause  of  their  hurry  and  anxiety.  At  last 
they  exclaimed,  "  The  Manpoora  tiger  has  come  I"  which  was  all 
that  could  at  first  be  made  out.  Afterwards  they  explained  that 
a  cow  had  been  killed,  and  that  a  watch  kept  on  this  night  would 
be  pretty  certainly  successful.  No  time  was  lost  in  preparing  for 
the  expedition,  and  evening  found  our  friend  again  at  the. valley 
of  Manpoora.  The  peasants  immediately  accompanied  their  visitor 
to  the  scene  of  the  sacrifice ;  there  lay  the  cow :  and  two  men 


THE   TIGER   OF   INDIA.  335 


who  had  watched  the  whole   proceeding  from   the  neighbouring 
trees  reported  that  the   tiger,   after   a  copious  draught  of  pure 
blood,  had  retreated  to  the  hills,  doubtless  to  return  in  the  eve- 
ning to  make  a  more  solid  meal.     An  examination  of  the  carcass 
proved  the  truth  of  this  information ;  the  cow  had  been  freshly 
killed,  and  was  as  yet  uninjured,  save  by  the  wounds  which  had 
caused  its  death.     The  disappearance  of  the  tiger  was  not  at  all 
disheartening,  it  being   the  custom   of  the  auiflial  to  leave  its 
prey  for  a  while,  knowing  it  to  be  perfectly  safe.     It  is  seldom 
that  the  inferior  denizens  of  the  wild  venture  to  attack  a  carcass 
brought  down  by  a  tiger,  until  he  has  gorged  his  fill.     The  jack- 
alls  and  vultures  draw  silently  ai'ound,  waiting  their  turn   after 
the  sovereign  has  completed  his  repast;  and,  should  they  neglect 
this  mark  of  respect,  they  are  made  to  pay  dearly  for  the  omis- 
sion,— sportsmen,    on   coming  on   the  remains  of  a  slaughtered 
animal,  having  sometimes  seen  vultures  lying  dead  upon  it,  killed 
by  a  stroke  from  the  tiger's  claw.     The  spot  on  which  the  cow 
was  lying  was  exceedingly  jungley,  and  ill-calculated  for  the  ad- 
venturer's purpose;  but   after  the  different  attempts  that  had 
been   made,   and  the  watching  and  anxiety  already  undergone, 
though  a  most  unsatisfactory  place  for  a  night  abode,  the  young 
man  determined  to  take  up  his  quarters  on  it.     The  carcass  of 
the  cow  was   moved  by  his  direction   to  a  more  promising  spot, 
and  close  to  one  of  the  extremities  a  slight  ambuscade  of  thorns 
was  thrown  up  to  conceal  the  adversary  from  view.     The  Mus- 
sulman lad  before  mentioned,  remained  staunch  by  the  side  of 
his  master ;  and  one  of  the  villagers  asked  and  obtained  permis- 
sion  to  join   the  party.     Towards   dusk,  the  position  was  taken 
up,  the  officer  placing  himself  in  front  close  up  to  the  tail  of  the 
cow,  and  the  two  natives  back  to  back  in  the  rear,  by  which  plan 
a  lookout  on  all  sides  was   effected.     The  night   set  in  with  the 
most  profound  darkness  imaginable,  conveying  a  sense  of  horror 
to  the  mind  which  it  is  impossible  to  describe,  and  producing  an 
impression  which  was  strongly  calculated  to  render   the  rashness 
of  the  undertaking  the   prevailing  feeling.      Hour   after  hour 
passed  away,  in  the  most  painful  kind  of  suspense.     Midnight 


334  THE   TIGER   OF   INDIA 


arrived,  and   not  long  afterwards,  a  distant  rustling  among  tho 
bushes  was  distinctly  heard  ;  by  degrees  the  sound  became  plainer 
and  plainer;  there  was  no\v  uo  mistaking  the  apjjroach  of  the 
enem}'-,    and  a  few  minutes  would   decide   the  business.      The 
sounds  ceased;  and  while  wondering  whether  the  tiger  had,  upon 
second  thoughts,  retreated,  our  friend,  upon  looking  up,  distinctly 
saw  tlie  royal   beast  standing  close  to  the   head  of  the  cow,  the 
uo:ly  of  the  aijimal  only  intervening  between   them.     It  was  a 
moment  of  utter  dismay.     The  tiger  had  commenced  his  repast, 
and,   with   the  desperate  determination  produced  by  the  fearful- 
ucss  of  the  occasion,  the  gun   was   brought  up,  and  fired.     The 
tiger  did  not  drop.     A  never-to-bc-forgottcn  roar,  and   a  charge 
of  indomitable  fierceness  follovred.     The  tiger  fortunately  rushed 
past,  blundering  onward  in  aimless  fury.     Sufficient  presence  of 
mind  to  fire  again    under  such  circumstances,  was  not  in  human 
nature ;  and  the  vilhigor,  still   less  accustomed   to  so  dreadful  a 
pi-edicament,  grasped  tlio  arm  of  the  sportsnian  in  the  terror  of 
the  moment,  and   thus  added  to  his  embarrassmcut.     After  the 
tiger  had  rushed  forward  for  a  fshort  distance,  the  welcome  sound 
of  his  fall  was  heard,  succeeded  by  heavy  groans.     These  indica- 
tions gave  very  satisfactory  assurances   of  his  impending  fate, 
but  still  it  was  necessary  to  be  cautious.     After  allowing  a  suffi- 
cient time  for  the  tiger  either  to  make  off,  or  to  expire  in  peace, 
the  attendants  were  directed  to  rouse  the  village,  and  in  the  in- 
terim tho  riSe  was  reloaded  in  case  of  tlio  worst.     The  villagers 
were  soon   assembled   with  their  lighted   torches,  but  for  some 
time  their  search  proved  ineffectual.     In  fact,  the  chief  actor  in 
the  scene  began  to  imagine  that  he  had  mis.sed  his   aim,  or  tliat 
the  whole  had  been  nothing  more  than  an  apparition  conjured  up 
by  the  excited  state  of  his  mind.     Believing  that   the  tiger  h-ad 
not  been  wounded  at  all,  but  had  made  good  his  retreat,  the  vil- 
lagers who  had  been  sonK'V.-hat  fearful  of  searching  too  minutely 
before,  growing  bolder,  looked   more  narrowly  around  them.     A 
yhfHit  of  joy  was  soon   after    heard.     The  tiger  was  discovered, 
dead.     A  hearty  hr.zza  followed,  in    wliich    th.'^   natives,   fhouali 
unaccustomed  to  ihc.  European  ujodo  of  chei  ring,  jdiocd  wilh  all 


i 


THE    TIGER    OF   INDIA. 


335 


their  lungs.  The  tiger  proved  to  be  the  identical  monster  so  long 
sought.  The  ball  had  gone  clean  through  the  centre  of  the 
stomach,  and  it  was  a  subject  of  surprise  that  he  had  been  able 
to  reach  the  place  in  which  he  was  found.  The  manner  in  which 
this  and  the  Kaiingur  tiger  m-jt  ihcii  death,  and  the  arm  that 
laid  them  low,  are  i^e.l  kat?tvri  in  "^*<?v^gal. 


BEDOUINS. 


A  ROMANCE  OF  THE  BEDOUINS. 


Bedouins  is  the  general  name  given  to  some  of  the  roving 
tribes  of  the  great  desert  of  Sahara,  in  Africa,  and  of  Arabia  and 
Egypt.  It  is  still  doubtful  whether  they  belong  to  the  same  race 
with  the  Arabs,  or  differ  from  them  in  their  descent  as  they  do 
in  their  manner  of  living. 

The  Bedouins  live  at  a  distance  from  cities  and  villages,  in 
families,  under  sheiks,  or  in  tribes,  under  emirs.  Their  dwellings 
are  tents,  huts,  caverns,  and  ruins.  With  their  herds  and  beasts 
of  burden,  which  carry  their  little  property,  they  wander  in  quest 
of  fresh  water  and  pasture.  They  are  all  good  horsemen,  and 
are  generally  fond  of  hunting.  The  peaceful  tribes  exchange 
horses,  (which  they  raise  with  great  care,)  and  fat  cattle  for  arms 
and  cloth,  with  the  neighbouring  nations.  Other  hordes  are  such 
open  robbers  that  it  is  dangerous  to  travel  through  their  country 
without  a  guard  or  a  passport  which  the  different  chiefs  sell. 
They  not  only  plunder,  but  murder  even  v/hcn  the  h-avellers  offer 
(83G) 


A   ROMANCE   OF   THE    BEDOUINS.  337 


ro  resistance.  Notwithstanding  their  barbarous  custom,  the 
Bedouins  hold  the  rights  of  hospitality  sacred;  and  the  most  de- 
fenceless enemy  is  sure  of  safety  if  once  they  have  allowed  him 
shelter.  But  the  Bedouin  considers  every  one  his  enemy  who  is 
not  his  brother,  kinsman  or  ally.  "  Their  hand  is  against  every 
man,  and  every  man's  hand  is  against  them." 

Ever  careful  of  his  own  safety,  the  Bedouin  attacks  no  camp 
or  caravan,  without  being  sure  of  his^superiority.  To  superior 
numbers  and  a  bold  resistance,  he  yields,  and  saves  himself  by 
flight.  A  terror  to  the  neighboui-ing  nations,  the  rapacious  Be- 
douin lives  in  a  state  of  continual  watchfulness ;  poor,  ignorant, 
wild  and  rude,  but  free  and  proud  of  his  liberty.  He  is  remark- 
able for  temperance  in  regard  to  food,  amounting  almost  to  absti- 
nence. 

The  following  romantic  episode  in  Bedouin  life  is  elegantly 
told  by  Lamartine,  in  his  travels  in  the  Holy  Land : — 

"  We  one  day  met  a  Bedouin,  mounted  on  a  fine  black  drome- 
dary ;  the  sheiks  saluted  him  with  an  air  of  concern,  and  inquired 
what  had  been  the  issue  of  his  unfortunate  adventure  of  the  pre- 
ceding year.  I  asked  his  history,  and  found  the  recital  suffi- 
ciently interesting  to  give  it  a  place  in  my  journal.  Aloian,  (this 
was  the  name  of  the  Bedouin,)  while  hunting  the  gazelle,  arrived 
at  a  spot  where  broken  lances,  bloody  sabres,  and  unburied 
corpses,  indicated  a  recent  battle.  A  plaintive  sound,  which 
scarcely  reached  his  ear,  attracted  him  to  the  pile  of  dead  bodies, 
in  the  midst  of  which  a  young  Arab  still  breathed.  Aloian  has- 
tened to  his  assistance,  placed  him  upon  his  dromedary,  led  him 
to  his  tent,  and  by  his  paternal  cares  restored  him  to  life.  After 
four  months'  convalescence,  Faress  (the  wounded  man)  began  to 
talk  of  his  departure ;  but  Aloian  said  to  him,  '  If  we  must  abso- 
lutely separate,  I  will  conduct  you  to  your  tribe,  and  there  take 
leave  of  you  with  regret ;  but  if  you  will  remain  with  me,  you 
phall  be  my  brother,  my  mother  shall  be  your  mother,  and  my 
wife  your  sister;  consider  my  proposal,  and  give  it  a  deliberate 
answer.'  '  Oh  !  my  benefactor,'  replied  Faress,  '  where  shall  I 
find  such  relations  as  you  oficr  me  ?     But  for  you,  I  should  not 

29 


338  A   ROMANCE   OF   THE   BEDOUINS. 


now  be  living ;  my  flesh  would  have  been  devoured  by  birds  of 
prey,  and  my  bones  by  the  beasts  of  the  desert :  since  you  are 
willing  to  keep  me,  I  will  live  with  you,  and  serve  you  till  the 
end  of  my  life.' 

"  A  motive  less  pure  than  he  dared  to  avow,  had  prompted  Fa- 
ress's  decision  :  love  for  Hafza,  the  wife  of  Aloian,  who  had  been 
bis  nurse,  was  beginning  to  agitate  his  bosom,  and  was  returned. 
Aloian,  who  entertained  no  suspicion,  one  day  charged  Faress  to 
escort  his  mother,  his  wife,  and  two  children,  to  a  new  encamp- 
ment, while  he  went  hunting.  Faress  could  not  resist  this  fatal 
opportunity;  he  loaded  a  camel  with  the  tent,  placed  the  mother 
and  two  children  upon  it,  and  sent  them  forward,  saying  that  he 
would  follow  with  Hafza  on  horseback.  But  the  old  woman 
looked  back  in  vain  :  Hafza  did  not  appear;  Faress  had  carried 
her  away  upon  an  extremely  swift  mare  to  his  tribe.  In  the 
evening  Aloian  arrived,  fatigued  with  the  chase,  and  searched  in 
vain  for  his  tent  among  those  of  his  tribe.  The  old  mother  had 
been  unable  to  pitch  it  without  assistance,  and  he  found  her 
seated  upon  the  ground  with  the  two  children.  '  Where  is  Haf- 
za ?'  said  he.  '  I  have  neither  seen  Hafza  nor  Faress,'  replied  she : 
'  I  have  been  expecting  them  since  the  morning.'  Then  for  the 
first  time,  he  suspected  the  truth ;  and  having  assisted  his  mother 
to  fix  the  tent,  he  mounted  his  black  dromedary,  and  rode  two 
days,  till  he  came  up  to  the  tribe  of  Faress.  At  the  entrance 
of  the  camp  he  stopped  to  speak  to  an  old  woman,  who  was  alone. 
'  Why  do  you  not  go  to  the  sheik  ?'  said  she ;  *  there  is  a  feast  in 
the  tribe  to-day ;  Faress  Ebn  Mchidi,  who  had  been  wounded 
on  a  field  of  battle  and  left  for  dead,  is  returned,  bringing  with 
him  a  beautiful  woman ;  this  evening  their  wedding  is  to  be  cele- 
brated.' Aloian  dissembled,  and  waited  for  the  night :  then, 
while  all  the  camp  slept,  he  introduced  himself  into  the  tent  of 
Faress,  separated  his  head  from  his  body  by  a  stroke  of  his  sabre, 
and  having  carried  the  corpse  out  of  the  encampment,  returned 
upon  his  steps,  found  his  wife  asleep,  and  woke  her,  saying,  *It 
is  Aloian  who  calls  thee.'  She  rose  in  terror  and  said,  '  Save  thy- 
self, imprudent  man  !     Faress  and  his  brothers  will  kill  thee.' 


A   ROMANCE   OF   THE   BEDOUINS.  339 


'Traitress,'  replied  he,  'what  have  I  doae  to  be  thus  treated? 
Have  I  ever  contradicted  or  reproached  thee?  Hast  thou  forgot- 
ten all  the  cares  I  have  lavished  upon  thee  ?  Hast  thou  forgot- 
ten thj'  children?  Come,  rise,  call  upon  God,  and  follow  me: 
accursed  be  the  devil  who  has  tempted  you  to  commit  this  folly  1' 
]Jut  Hafza,  far  from  being  moved  by  this  mildness  of  Aloian, 
exclaimed,  'Go  hence  !  or  I  shall  give  the  alarm,  and  call  Faress 
to  kill  thee.'  Seeing  that  there  was  nothing  to  be  gained  by  re- 
monstrance, he  seized  her,  stopped  her  mouth,  and  in  spite  of  her 
resistance,  placed  her  on  a  dromedary,  which  never  paused  till 
they  were  out  of  hearing  of  the  camp.  Then  placing  her  behind 
him,  he  more  leisurely  continued  his  route. 

"  At  daybreak  the  corpse  of  Faress  and  the  disappearance  of 
his  wife  set  the  whole  camp  in  a  tumult.  The  father  and  broth- 
ers of  Faress  followed  and  overtook  Aloian,  who  defended  him- 
self with  heroic  courage.  Hiifza,  breaking  oif  her  bonds,  joined 
the  assailants,  and  tl'.rew  stoii.'S  at  him,  one  of  Vv'hich  struck  him 
on  the  head  and  made  him  stagger.  Aloian,  however,  though 
covered  with  wound.?,  conquered  his  adversaries  :  he  killed  the 
two  brothers,  and  di.'^armod  the  father,  saying  it  would  be  di.s- 
gvaceful  to  kill  an  old  man  ;  he  restored  him  his  mare,  and  ail- 
vised  him  to  return  home;  then  seizing  his  wife  anew,  he  pur- 
sncd  his  route,  and  reached  his  tribe  without  havitio-  cxchano-ed 
iv  word  with  her.  He  immediately  assembled  all  her  relations, 
aiid  placing  Hafza  in  the  mid;^t  of  them,  said  to  her,  'Relate 
tl-.yself,  all  that  has  passed  :  I  refer  my  cause  to  the  judgment 
of  thy  father  and  brother.'  Hafza  told  the  tale  truly,  and  her 
father,  full  of  indignation,  raised  his  sabre,  and  laid  her  dead  at 
his  feet," 


/^^^ 


>-»  ^.j^^-^   j^''<^  O^^^tJ^ 
CAixiiK   WARRIOIl. 


MACOMO,  THE  CAFFRE  CHIEF. 

The  CafFrcs,  a  people  inhabiting  the  inland  districts  adjoining 
the  colonial  settlements  at  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  have  for  many 
years  been  fvelinc";  all  tlie  seemingly  inevitable  consequences  rc- 
prdtinp:  from  tiio  cintix'!  nf  civilized  men.  This  is  not  the  place 
to  give  any  opinion  respecting  the  po.'icy  which  has  been  used  by 
the  European  residents  there  towards  the  native  Caffres.  in  the 
parliamentary  reportt,  however,  upon  this  subject,  we  find,  by  the 
(340) 


MACOMO,    THE   CAFFRE   CHIEF.  341 


evidence  of  several  respectable  and  important  witnesses,  that,  iu 
lome  instances,  the  Caffres  are  to  be  considered  as  having  had 
hard  measure  dealt  out  to  them  by  the  colonial  authorities. 
This  was  more  especially  the  case,  according  to  the  testimony 
given,  as  regarded  one  chief  of  the  CalTrcs,  named  Macomo,  a 
man  of  most  remarkable  character  and  talents.  The  Caffre  peo- 
ple, it  must  be  observed,  though  they  acknowledge  one  nominal 
head  or  king,  are  in  reality  ruled  by  various  independent  chiefs, 
and  of  these  Macomo  was  one  of  the  most  powerful.  His  father 
and  predecessor  Gaika  had  been  possessed  of  much  greater  power 
nnd  wider  territories  than  the  son,  but  had  found  himself  neces- 
sitated to  yield  up  a  large  portion  of  his  lands  to  the  colonists. 
Macomo  received  no  education,  all  the  cultui-e  which  his  mind 
ever  obtained  being  derived  from  occasional  intercourse  with  mis- 
sionaries, after  he  had  grown  up  to  manhood.  From  the  period 
of  Gaika's  concessions  in  1819,  up  to  the  year  1829,  Macomo 
and  his  tribe  dwelt  upon  the  Kat  Ptiver,  following  their  pastoral 
life  in  peace,  and  cultivating  their  corn-fields.  Suddenly,  in 
1829,  Macomo  and  his  people  were  ejected  from  their  lands  on 
the  Kat  River,  on  the  plea,  that,  by  an  old  treaty  of  Gaika,  these 
lands  had  been  ceded  to  the  colony,  Macomo  retired,  almost 
without  a  murmur,  to  a  district  farther  inland,  leaving  the  very 
grain  growing  upon  his  fields.  He  took  up  a  new  position  on 
the  banks  of  the  river  Dhumie,  and  here  he  and  his  tribe  dwelt 
in  1833,  when  they  were  again  driven  out  to  seek  a  new  home, 
almost  without  a  pretence,  if  we  may  judge  from  the  reports,  to 
justify  the  expulsion.  On  this  occasion,  Macomo  did  make  a  re- 
monstrance in  a  document  addressed  to  an  influential  person  of 
the  colon}^,  Dr.  Philip,  who  vouches  for  its  authenticity.  Stock- 
enstrora  and  Somerset  (persons  mentioned  in  it)  were  high  offi- 
cial men  in  the  settlement  at  a  former  period.  In  the  whole  of 
this  letter — this  savage  CafFre's  letter — there  is,  (says  Dr.  Philip) 
"  A  beautiful  simplicity,  a  touching  pathos,  a  confiding  magnan- 
imity, a  dignified  remonstrance,  which  shows  its  author  to  be  no 
common  man."     It  was  dictated  to  an  interpreter. 

"  As  I  and  my  people,  (writes  MacomO;)  have  beea  driven 

29* 


342  MACOMO,    THE    CAFFilE   CHIEF. 


back  over  the  Chumie  without  being  iuformed  whjr,  I  should  be 
glad  to  know  from  the  Government  what  evil  wc  have  done.  I 
was  only  told  that  we  miist  retire  over  the  Chumie,  but  for  what 
reason  I  was  not  informed.  Both  Stockenstrom  and  Somerset 
agreed  that  I  and  my  people  should  live  west  of  the  Chumie,  as 
well  as  east  of  it,  without  being  disturbed.  When  shall  I  and 
my  jyeople  he  ahle  to  get  rest  ? 

"  When  my  father  Gaika  was  living,  he  reigned  over  the 
whole  land  from  the  Fish  River  to  the  Kei ;  but  since  the  day 
he  refused  to  act  against  the  English,  he  has  lost  more  than  one- 
half  of  his  country  hy  them.  My  father  was  always  the  best 
friend  to  the  English  government,  although  he  was  a  loser  by 
them. 

"  My  poor  people  feel  much  the  loss,  not  only  of  their  grazing 
ground,  without  which  we  cannot  live,  })\\i  also  of  our  corn, 
some  of  which  is  a  considerable  height:  all  tliis  we  must  abandon. 

"  I  have  lived  peaceably  with  ni}'  people  west  of  the  Chumie 
River,  ever  since  I  have  been  alloxced  by  Stockenstrom  and  Som- 
erset to  live  there  in  my  own  country.  When  any  of  my  people 
stole  from  the  colonists,  I  have  returned  what  was  stolen ;  I  have 
even  returned  the  cattle  which  the  people  of  other  chiefs  have 
stolen ;  yet  both  I  and  my  brother  Tyalie  have  almost  no  more 
counti'y  for  our  cattle  to  live  in. 

"  I  do  not  know  why  so  many  commandos  [military  parties] 
come  into  this  country  and  take  away  our  cattle,  and  kill  our 
people,  without  sufficient  reason  :  we  do  no  injury  to  the  colony, 
and  yet  I  remain  under  the  foot  of  the  English. 

"  I  would  beg  the  favour  of  your  inquiring  at  the  Government 
for  me  the  reason  of  all  these  things,  and  I  will  thank  you.  Your 
friend, 

(Signed)  Macomo,  the  Chief" 

We  have  made  some  slight  omissions  in  quoting  this  letter, 
but  what  is  given  will  perhaps  satisfy  the  reader  of  the  unedu- 
cated Macomo  being  no  common  man.  He  mentions  in  his 
appeal,  that  he  had  not  only  restored,  on  application,  the  cattle 


MACOJIO,    THE    CAFFRE   CHIEF.  343 


takcu  by  the  unruly  among  his  own  dependants,  but  had  paid 
back  to  the  colonists  the  property  stolen  by  those  with  whom  he 
had  nought  to  do — all  for  the  sake  of  peace.  One  would  think 
that  after  the  colonists,  whether  by  fair  or  by  foul  play,  had 
twice  unseated  Macomo,  and"  driven  him  to  seek  a  new  home, 
they  would  scarcely  expect  him  to  hold  the  same  power  as  he 
had  done,  or  make  hiin  answerable  for  the  thefts  of  his  Caffre 
brethren.  Another  appeal  to  Dr.  Philip,  made  some  time  after 
the  chief's  second  expulsion,  Avill  show  whether  this  was  the  case 
or  not.  "  You  have  bad  people,"  said  Macomo,  "  in  Graham's 
town  (a  colonial  village.)  Last  time  the  governor  was  there, 
some  of  them  stole  the  chain  off  his  wagon ;  did  he  punish  the 
town  for  the  theft  ?  When  any  thing  is  stolen  and  carried  from 
one  district  to  another,  and  the  thieves  cannot  be  found,  is  one 
of  the  in:;gi.«trMtes  visited  with  the  punishment  due  to  the 
thieves?  1  have  guarded  the  frontier  of  the  colony,  to  prevent 
the  Caffres  from  stealing  from  the  colonists,  for  many  years,  and 
what  has  been  my  reward  'i  Driven  from  my  country,  I  am  now 
without  a  home  for  myself  and  my  people,  and  the  few  cattle 
left  to  me  are  made  answerable  for  every  theft  alleged  to  have 
been  committed,  though  it  may  have  been  done  by  people  who  ac- 
knowledge no  chief,  and  who  live  by  thieving,  and  have  no  other 
abode  than  the  bushes." 

Our  main  object  in  these  extracts  is  to  exhibit  the  intelligence 
and  talents  of  this  very  extraordinary  barbarian.  The  truth  of 
what  he  said  is  corroborated  by  the  most  creditable  evidence  in 
the  llcports.  The  nest  incident  worthy  of  notice,  in  Macomo's 
history,  occurred  about  a  year  after  his  second  expulsion.  To  un- 
derstand this,  it  must  be  premised  that  the  grounds  on  the  Kat 
River,  from  which  he  had  been  first  expelled  in  1829,  had  been 
given  up  by  the  colony  to  a  body  of  Hottentots,  who  had  there 
formed  a  flourishing  settlement.  The  Hottentots,  being  the 
aborigines  of  a  district  nearer  the  capes  than  the  Caffres,  had 
long  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  missionaries,  &c. ;  and  though 
their  race  had,  as  usual,  dwindled  away  greatly  in  numbers,  those 
who  remained  had  advanced  considerably  in  civilization.    On  the 


344      '  MACOMO,    THE   CAFFRE   CHIEF 


Kat  river,  then,  in  1834,  the  Hottentots  had  a  thriving  settle- 
ment. Will  it  be  believed  that  Macomo,  at  that  time  a  wanderer 
for  the  second  time,  had  the  magnanimity  to  visit  the  Kat  River, 
and  congratulate  on  their  prosperity  the  nev?  occupants  of  those 
lauds,  •which  were  iudubitably  his  'own  b}'  right.  He  appeared 
at  a  missionary  meeting,  and  thus  addressed  the  assembled 
settlers  : — '■'■  My  friends,  I  am  very  glad  to  meet  you  on  an  occa- 
sion like  the  present :  the  word  of  God  has  done  great  things  for 
you :  it  has  brought  you  to  life  again.  It  was  only  the  other 
day  that  you  were  like  dogs,  and  oppressed ;  it  is  the  word  of 
God  that  has  given  you  these  churches  and  the  lands  you  have." 
Macomo  then  spoke  of  his  own  wretched  condition,  and  that  of 
his  people,  attributing  it  to  their  want  of  education  and  religion. 
Afterwards  he  addressed  those  of  Caffre  blood  who  were  present, 
saying,  '■'■  Go  and  tell  my  people  what  ye  have  seen  and  heard; 
I  hope  ere  long  to  witness  in  our  own  land  such  scenes  as  the 
present..  God  is  great,  who  hath  said  it,  and  will  surely  bring  it 
to  pass." 

The  greatness  of  mind  which  dictated  Macomo's  visit,  and  thd 
peaceful  sentiments  which  he  expressed,  met  with  a  strange  reward. 
Though  the  chief  came  by  express  invitation  from  the  Kat  River 
settlers,  he  had  acted  contrary  to  a  colonial  statute  in  entering 
colonial  grounds ;  and,  accordingly,  scarcely  was  the  assembly 
over,  when  a  serjeant  and  several  soldiers  came  to  take  Macomo 
into  custody.  The  Caffre  yielded  without  resistance,  but  this  did 
not  save  him,  according  to  the  statement  of  the  oiily  credible 
witness  present,  from  threats  and  insult.  Among  other  things, 
the  Serjeant  took  out  his  canteen,  and  offered  Macomo  brandy. 
The  chief  indignantly  refused.  "  I  will  not  have  your  brandy," 
he  said ;  "  this  is  not  the  first  time  you  have  insulted  me  in  this 
way,  but  it  is  the  first  time  you  have  insulted  me  in  the  presence 
of  people  who  could  bear  evidence  to  the  insult."  After  carry- 
ing Macomo  to  the  nest  post,  the  officials  before  whom  he  was 
taken  set  him  free,  finding  nothing  against  him. 

Macomo  bore  all  that  befell  him  patiently  till  the  occurrence 
of  a  new  evil  in  1835.     One  of  the  patrol  parties  which  were 


MiiCOMO,    THE   CAFFRE   CHIEF.  345 


continually  scouring  his  countr}',  and  of  which  he  had  again  and 
again  comj^lained,  at  length  committed  an  injury,  which  stung 
the  Caffre  chief  beyond  endurance.  Xo-Xo,  Macomo's  brother,  was 
wantonly  shot  in  the  head  with  slugs  by  a  pati'olling  party,  as  he 
was  peacefully  remonstrating  against  the  seizure  of  some  Caffre 
cattle,  which  were  under  his  charge.  On  application  being  made 
for  redress  of  this  cruel  injury,  Macomo  and  his  friends  were 
told  that  the  colonial  powers  could  not  discover  the  officer  who 
commanded  the  patrol.  The  Caffre  chiefs  lost  all  patience,  and 
war,  a  long  and  bloody  war,  followed  the  shooting  of  Xo-Xo. 

We  have  only  one  detailed  notice  before  us  of  Macomo,  after 
he  had  taken  the  field  against  the  colonial  powers.  On  hearing 
of  the  iptentions  of  the  Caffres,  a  missionary  of  the  name  of 
Kayser,  well  known  to  and  loved  by  Macomo,  paid  a  visit 
to  the  chief  in  the  hope  of  averting  evil.  Kayser  found 
Macomo  with  all  his  chiefs,  in  the  bush  or  wilds,  and  the  follow- 
ing conversation  passed.  "I  asked  him,"  says  the  missionary, 
who  is  himself  the  nari'ator,  ''  what  he  did  there."  Macomo  re- 
plied, "  I  am  a  bush-buck ;  for  we  chiefs  are  shot  at  like  bucks,  and 
are  no  more  accounted  as  chiefs."  Kayser.  "  Why  do  you  talk 
thus?"  Macomo.  ''Have  you  not  heard  that  one  of  my 
brothers  has  been  shot  in  the  head,  and  that  we  do  not  know 
why  he  has  been  shot?"  Kayser.  "But  you  have  heard  the 
governor  is  coming  to  set  all  these  things  right."  Macomo  (very 
quickly).  "Where  is  he?"  Kayser.  "I  do  not  know;  but  wc 
hear  he  is  coming  very  soon  ;  and  you  must  go  home  with  your 
people,  and  wait  his  arrival  at  your  residence,  and  then  you  can 
lay  your  complaints  before  him."  "Macomo.  "I  have  no  home, 
the  bush  here  is  my  home."  Macomo  then  went  on  to  deuv 
that  he  had  been  the  beginner  of  hostilities,  and  admitted  that 
great  bloodshed  must  follow.  "  But  the  fire  is  burning,  said  the 
chief,)  and  I  cannot  quench  it."  Kayser  then  offered  to  go  to 
the  nearest  commandant,  Colonel  Somerset,  on  the  part  of  the 
Caffres.  "  Yes,  go  to  him,"  said  Macomo,  "  and  tell  him  that 
you  found  me  here  in  the  bush,  because  my  brother  has  been  shot 


346 


MACOMO,    THE    CAFFRE   CHIEF. 


in  the  head."     Mr.  Kayser  sought  but  could  not  find  Colonel 
Somerset. 

Even  after  all  that  had  passed,  Macomo,  as  ISlr.  Kayser  dis- 
tinctly ascertained,  was  averse  to  go  to  war,  but  was  pressed  to 
it  by  his  chief  men  and  followers.  Macomo,  we  believe,  has 
survived  the  contest  then  begun.  Our  readers,  if  we  do  not  de- 
ceive ourselves,  will  feel  interested  in  a  man,  certainly  very  re- 
markable for  his  situation  in  life.  The  account  which  has  been 
given  of  him  is  an  impartial  one ;  and  it  may  be  concluded,  we 
hope,  without  offending  any  one,  with  a  wish  that  Macomo  may 
have  more  peace  in  his  future  days  than  seems  to  have  fallen  to 
his  lot  in  those  that  are  past. 


CAFFRE   HUT. 


A  LATE  PtEMAEKABLE  TRIAL  AT  GIBRALTAR. 

At  Gibraltar,  recently,  there  occurred  one  of  those  extraordi- 
nary cases,  which  show  us  how  ineffectively  the  romancist,  even 
when  his  imagination  is  strained  to  the  uttermost,  can  portray 
the  extremes  of  passion  of  which  human  nature  is  susceptible. 

A  respectable  merchant,  named  James  Baxwell,  born  at  Lon- 
don, had  removed  in  early  life  to  Gibraltar,  induced  partly  by 
the  circumstance  of  his  being  of  the  same  religious  persuasion  to 
which  the  people  of  his  adopted  country  belonged.  For  many 
years  he  occupied  a  small  dwelling  near  the  base  of  Mount  St. 
Michael,  so  renowned  for  its  eaves  and  crystallizations.  He  car- 
ried on  a  successful  tralBc  in  all  the  articles  of  British  manu- 
facture introduced  into  Spain.  He  acquired,  in  truth,  a  very 
considerable  fortune  in  this  way.  All  the  country  knew  that  he 
had  a  large  amount  of  treasure  lying  by  him,  not  to  speak  of  the 
capital  belonging  to  him,  which  was  embarked  in  commerce. 
His  name  was  one  of  credit  in  all  the  principal  houses  of  exchange 
in  Europe. 

James  Baxwell  had  a  daughter,  an  only  daughter,  aged  seven- 
teen, and  of  remarkable  beauty.  Her  countenance  and  figure 
combined  in  a  most  agreeable  manner  the  peculiar  charms  of  the 
Englishwoman  with  the  soft  and  languishing  characteristics  of  the 
Spaniard.  Young  as  she  was,  she  had  been  for  some  two  or 
three  years  an  object  of  devoted  admiration  to  all  the  youths 
around  Gibralter.  At  church  they  devoured  her  with  their 
eyes;  and  many,  many  a  one  thought  himself  that  happy  above 
all  men  would  be  he  who  could  win  the  smiles  of  Eliza  Baxwell. 
But  Eliza  bestowed  her  smiles  upon  no  one.  She  seemed,  to 
those  whose  involuntary  sighs  she  excited,  to  carry  maidenly 

C3-A7) 


348  EEMAKKAELE   TIBIAL   AT   GIBRALTAK. 


modes^  to  freeiiiig  coldness.  At  mass,  her  eyes  were  ever  bent 
upon  her  book,  regardless  of  all  the  glances  cast  upon  her  by 
others. 

Such  was  at  least  the  case  till  shortly  before  the  events  to  be 
narrated.  At  length,  howerer,  Eliza  did  see  one  that  awatened  in 
herself  some  of  the  emotions  which  she  had  caused  in  others.  At 
mass,  one  day,  she  observed  the  eyes  of  a  young  stranger  fixed 
upon  her  with  an  expresaon  of  admiration  and  respect-  To  her 
he  seemed  a  being  superior  to  aU  the  young  men  she  had  ever 
jet  beheld.  From  that  moment,  her  calm  and  self-p(^«ssed  de- 
meanour left  her  for  ever.  Abroad  and  at  home,  she  was  restless 
and  unea^.  But,  ere  long,  the  stranger  foimd  an  opporttmity 
of  being  introduced  to  her,  and  mutual  avowals  of  love  followed 
at  no  sjesk  distance  of  time. 

Assured  of  the  affections  of  Eliza,  the  young  stranger  then 
presented  himself  to  3Ir.  BaxweU.  ^-'I  am  named  William 
Elatt,"  ^d  he  to  the  merchant  j  •'•  I  am,  like  yourself,  an  En- 
gli^bman ;  I  am  of  respectable  femily  and  character,  young  and 
wealthy.     Give  me  your  daughter — we  love  one  another." 

"  Xever  '"  said  James  Baxwell,  to  whom  the  position  and  cir 
cnmstances  of  tiie  young  man  were  not  imknown ;  <•'  never  I 
You  belong  to  the  dominant  religion  of  England,  by  which  my 
&ther  suffered  so  jnuch  and  so  long.  You  are  a  Lutheran,  and 
my  dau^ter  is  a  Catholic.  Such  an  union  cotild  not  be  happy, 
nor  will  I  ever  give  my  consent  to  it.  Eliza  shall  never  be 
yours  I"  The  daughter  informed  of  this  declaration,  threw  her- 
self at  the  feet  of  her  father,  and  endeavoured  to  move  him  from 
his  purpose.  Her  Iovct  did  the  same.  But  the  father  remained 
obetinaie,  and  a  violent  scene  took  place  between  Eliza  and  her 
parent  The  blood  of  the  fiery  south  coursed  in  the  daughter's 
veins,  and  she  declared  that  she  would  marry  the  object  of  her 
choice  despite  of  all  opposition.  James  Baxwell,  on  the  other 
hand,  declared  that  he  would  sooner  1-31  her  with  his  own  hands, 
than  see  her  carry  such  a  resolution  into  effect.  As  to  William 
Katt,  who  stood  by  at  this  scene,  he  kept  silence.  What 
thoughts  were  revolving  in  his  mind,  it  would  be  difficult  to  say 


REMARKABLE   TRIAL   AT   GIBRALTAR.  349 


Two  days  afterwards,  an  alarming  noise  was  heard  by  the 
neighbours  to  issue  from  a  cave  immediately  adjoining  the  mer- 
chant's house,  and  used  by  him  for  some  domestic  purposes. 
The  noise  consisted  at  first  of  loud  cries,  which  gradually  became 
fainter,  and  at  length  died  altogether  away.  The  auditors  looked 
at  each  other  with  amazement,  and  many  were  the  conjectures  as 
to  the  cause  of  the  sounds  alluded  to.  A  solution  of  the  mystery 
was  not  long  in  suggesting  itself,  Eliza  had  disappeared ;  she 
was  no  longer  to  be  seen  about  her  father's  house.  After  many 
low  murmurs  had  circulated,  the  father  was  interrogated  respect- 
ing his  daughter.  He  said  that  she  was  missing,  certainly  ;  but 
whither  she  had  gone,  he  knew  not.  He  had  nothing  whatever 
to  do,  he  said,  with  her  disappearance. 

This  explanation  was  not  satisfactory.  The  whisper  went 
abroad  that  James  Baswell  had  assassinated  his  daughter  to  pre- 
vent her  marriage  with  "William  Katt,  and,  ultimately,  this  con- 
jecture was  so  forcibly  pressed  on  the  attention  of  the  public 
authorities,  that  they  were  compelled  to  arrest  James  Baswell, 
and  inquire  into  the  matter.  The  dwelling  of  the  merchant  was 
examined,  but  nothing  criminating  was  found.  "  The  cave,  the 
cave  is  the  place  !"  cried  some  of  the  crowd.  The  magistrates 
then  descended  into  the  cave,  and  there,  on  lifting  some  loose 
stones,  they  found  a  portion  of  Eliza's  dress,  sprinkled  all  over 
with  blood.  They  also  discovered  a  small  quantity  of  hair,  clot- 
ted with  gore,  and  that  hair  was  recognized  by  many,  as  having 
been  taken  from  the  head  of  Eliza. 

Baxwell  protested  his  innocence.  But  the  proof  seemed 
strong  against  him,  and  he  was  regularly  brought  to  trial.  The 
result  was  his  conviction  for  the  murder  of  his  daughter,  and  his 
condemnation  to  death. 

On  receiving  sentence,  the  unhappy  merchant  trembled  to  excess, 
and  afterwards  seemed  utterly  overpowered  by  the  dreadful  nature 
of  his  situation.  He  continued  in  a  state  of  almost  total  insen- 
sibility during  the  interval  between  his  trial  and  the  day  appointed 
for  his  execution.  On  the  morning  of  the  latter  day,  the  jailor 
came  to  announce  to  him,  for  the  final  time,  that  the  moment  of 

30 


350  REMARKABLE   TRIAL   AT   GIBRALTAR. 


fate  was  at  hand.  The  merchant  was  seized  again  with  a  fearful 
trembling,  and  he  ci'ied,  what  he  had  reiterated  to  all  who  saw 
him  in  his  confinement,  "  Before  my  Maker,  I  swear  that  I  am 
guiltless  of  my  child's  death  \" 

They  led  him  out  to  the  scaffold.  There  he  found,  among 
others,  William  Katt,  who,  it  should  have  been  said,  was  the 
most  important  witness  against  him  at  his  trial,  having  repeated 
to  the  court  the  threat  of  assassination  which  had  been  uttered 
by  James  Baswell  in  his  presence  against  Eliza.  No  sooner  did 
the  doomed  merchant  behold  Katt,  than  he  exclaimed,  at  the 
very  foot  of  the  scaffold,  "My  friend,  in  one  minute  I  shall  be  in 
eternity.  I  wish  to  die  in  peace  with  all  men.  Give  me  your 
hand — I  pardon  you  freely  for  the  injury  your  evidence  has  done 
to  me."  Baxwell  said  this  with  some  composure,  but  the  effect  of 
his  words  upon  Katt  was  very  striking.  He  became  pale  as  death, 
and  could  not  conceal  the  depth  of  his  agitation. 

Baxwell  mounted  the  steps  of  the  gallows  slowly,  and  gSve 
himself  up  to  the  hands  of  the  executioner,  to  undergo  death  by 
the  rope.  According  to  the  ancient  custom  of  Gibraltar,  the  exe- 
cutioner commenced  his  last  duties  by  crying  in  a  loud  voice, 
"  Justice  is  doing !  Justice  is  done  !"  He  then  placed  the  black 
bonnet  on  the  head  of  the  condemned  merchant,  and  pulled  it 
down  in  front  so  as  to  cover  the  eyes.  He  had  just  done  this, 
when  he  was  stopped  in  his  proceedings  by  a  loud  cry  from  the 
side  of  the  scaffold — "  It  is  I  icJio  am  guilts/! — I  alone!" 

This  cry  came  from  William  Katt.  The  magistrates  in  attend- 
ance instantly  called  him  forward,  and  demanded  an  explanation. 
The  young  man  avowed  that  he  had  carried  off  Eliza,  with  her 
consent,  to  be  his  wife,  and  that  she  was  now  residing  not  far 
off,  in  concealment.  But  to  her  he  did  not  communicate  other 
mea.sures  which  he  had  taken,  chiefly  to  revenge  himself  for  the 
scorn  of  her  father.  He  had  contrived  to  cut  off  a  portion  of  her 
hair  while  she  slept.  He  had  clotted  it  with  the  blood  of  a 
lamb,  and  had  also  sprinkled  in  the  same  way  a  part  of  Eliza' .s 
dress,  which  he  had  purloined.  These  articles  he  had  placed  in 
the  cave,  and  there,  also,  had  he  emitted  personally,  those  cric.'^, 


REMARKABLE   TRIAL   AT   GIBRALTAR. 


351 


•which  had  borne  so  heavily  against  the  merchant.  The  generous 
pardon  which  the  merchant  had  bestowed  on  him  at  the  scaffold, 
had  awakened  (the  young  man  said,)  instantaneous  remorse  in 
his  breast,  and  compelled  him  to  avow  the  truth. 

This  confession  was  partly  made  at  the  scaffold,  and  partly 
afterwards.  As  soon  as  Katt  had  spoken  out  decisively,  the  exe- 
cutioner had  turned  to  James  Baxwell  to  take  from  him  the  in- 
signia of  death.  The  merchant,  almost  unobserved,  had  sunk 
down  into  a  sitting  posture.  The  black  bonnet  was  drawn  by 
the  executioner  from  off  his  eyes  and  head.  It  was  found  that 
he  was  a  corpse  !  No  exertion  had  the  slightest  effect  in  awake- 
ning in  him  the  spark  of  life.  The  physicians,  saying  all  they 
could  on  such  a  subject,  declared  that  he  had  died  from  the 
effects  of  strong  imagination. 

William  Katt  was  conducted  to  prison  amid  the  clamours  of 
the  popiTlace,  there  to  await  judgment  for  his  misdeeds. 

Eliza,  the  unhappy  daughter  of  an  unhappy  father,  retired  to 
a  convent  for  life,  immediately  on  learning  all  that  had  passed. 


Il!ii:i!ii?i;ii'(i;!'8n;";'i';ii"";«i!iiii|i 


THE    TARTAR    BANDIT. 


For  many  months  the  district  of  Zaraisk,  had  been  infested 
by  a  formidable  band  of  robbers,  who,  not  satisfied  with  attack- 
ing travellers  and  relieving  them  of  their  property,  were  in  the 
habit  of  carrying  on  their  depredations  in  villages  and  even 
towns,  where  they  committed  the  most  horrible  excesses;  and  to 
such  an  extent  was  this  system  carried,  that  the  name  of  their 
chief,  Kara  Aly,  meaning  Aly  the  Black,  had  become  the  terror 
of  all  the  inhabitants  of  that  large  and  wealthy  country. 

For  more  than  eight  months  this  horde  of  brigands  evaded  the 
activity  of  the  Russian  police,  and  eluded  the  vigilance  of  the 
troops  who  were  sent  in  pursuit  of  them  in  every  direction.  Nor 
did  the  promised  reward  of  a  thousand  roubles  for  the  capture  of 
any  one  of  the  band,  or  the  whole  of  them  at  the  same  rate,  nor 
(852) 


THE   TARTAR   BANDIT.  353 


the  still  greater  premium  of  five  thousand  roubles  for  the  head 
of  Kara  Aly  himself,  produce  anymore  satisfactory  result ;  until 
at  length,  upon  the  earnest  solicitations  of  the  people,  and  with 
a  view  to  dissipate  their  apprehensions,  which  were  hourly  in- 
creasing, the  Russian  government  resolved  to  employ  more  effi- 
cient means  to  exterminate  a  system  of  plunder  and  terror  which 
had  so  long  existed. 

In  consequence  of  these  extended  arrangements  and  increased 
means,  Theodore  TrazofF,  the  Assessor  of  the  district,  succeeded 
in  capturing  the  formidable  chief  on  the  1st  of  November,  1837, 
together  with  five  of  his  accomplices,  and  a  young  woman, 
who,  in  the  report  to  the  Minister  of  Justice,  is  stated  to  be 
cither  his  wife  or  his  concubine.  Trazoflf  gives  the  following 
account  of  his  operations : 

*  On  the  1st  of  August,  1837,  I  received  instruction  and  au- 
thority from  the  government  to  discover  if  possible  the  retreat 
of  the  brigands  composing  the  band  of  Kara  Aly,  and  to  secure 
their  persons.  Fifty  Cossacks,  commanded  by  Ensign  Djurilofi^, 
and  twenty  gend'armes,  under  the  orders  of  Lieutenant  New- 
mann  were  employed  jointly  upon  this  service,  but  all  our  efi'orts 
to  discover  them  were  fruitless. 

'On  the  2nd  of  October,  having  made  my  official  tour  of  the 
district  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  the  tax  (neidoimka)  from 
the  inhabitants,  I  returned  to  Zaraisk,  having  in  my  possession 
seventeen  thousand  roubles  of  paper-money,  the  produce  of  this 
levy ;  but,  as  it  was  growing  dark  before  I  reached  the  town, 
and  it  being  too  late  for  me  to  hand  over  the  amount  to  the  re- 
ceiver general  of  the  district  (Kaznatchy  njerdny,)  I  was  obliged 
to  postpone  making  the  payment  till  the  next  day. 

'  At  midnight,  as  I  was  writing  alone  in  my  room,  the  door 
was  opened  suddenly,  and  I  beheld  before  me  a  man  of  gigantic 
stature.  His  face  was  nearly  covered  with  large  mustachios. 
His  black  beard,  his  long  hair  hanging  dishevelled,  and  the  wild 
lightning  that  seemed  to  flash  from  his  eyes,  gave  to  this  sudden 
and  unexpected  apparition  an  indescribably  horrid  character : 
before  I  had  time  to  call  for  help,  the  man  had  advanced  close 

.30* 


354  THE   TARTAR   BANDIT. 


upon  me,  and  pointing  with  one  hand  to  his  pistols  and  dagger, 
he  laid  the  forefinger  of  the  other  upon  his  lips  in  an  authorita- 
tive manner  to  command  silence. 

'  I  remained  motionless  with  surprise  and  anxiety.  He  seated 
himself  by  my  side,  and,  fixing  his  eyes  upon  me,  said,  in  a  low, 
but  firm  and  almost  solemn  voice — 

' '  You  are  Theodore  Trazofi",  commissioned  to  apprehend  Kara 
Aly.  Look  at  me — I  am  Kara  Aly.  Look  at  me  well,  for  it  is 
necessary  you  should  know  my  personal  appearance.' 

'  After  a  short  silence,  which  I  found  myself  incapable  of 
breakinc;,  he  added — 

' '  Well,  you  have  examined  me  sufficiently.  Now  I  will  tell 
you  what  has  brought  me  hither.  You  have  got  here  seventeen 
thousand  rubles.' 

'  At  these  words  I  made  an  effort  to  rise  from  my  seat  and  call 
for  assistance,  but  the  attempt  was  vain ;  for  seizing  me  with  an 
iron  grasp,  he  threw  me  on  the  floor,  and  while  he  kept  me 
down,  he  with  inconceivable  dexterity  contrived  to  gag  me  with  a 
piece  of  cloth  :■  having  done  which,  he  proceeded  to  tic  my  arms 
and  legs.  Thus  secured,  he  searched  my  clothes,  and,  taking  out 
my  keys,  opened  a  chest  of  drawers  which  was  in  the  room,  and 
after  a  brief  search,  which,  of  course,  I  was  incapable  of  hinder- 
ing, found  the  seventeen  thousand  dollars  in  a  box  which  I  had 
placed  in  one  of  the  drawers  for  security. 

'  Having  achieved  his  purpose  he  came  back  to  me,  and,  show- 
ing me  his  dagger,  said,  '  I  could  have  purchased  your  silence  at 
the  price  of  your  life,  but  I  despise  you  too  much  to  fear  you. 
If  your  Emperor  had  as  many  soldiers  as  there  are  stars  in  the 
fiirmament,  Kara  Aly  would  defy  them  all,  and  enjoy  his  liberty 
free  and  uncontrolled.' 

'  He  then  ungagged  me  and  quitted  the  room  hastily.  Left 
alone,  I  called  to  my  servants,  who  came  instantly  and  liberated 
me,  and  I  rushed  out  of  the  house  with  some  of  my  Cossacks  in 
pursuit  of  the  robber,  but  all  in  vain.  At  some  distance  from 
the  town  we  discovered  the  marks  of  horses'   feet,  which  we 


THE   TARTAR   BANDIT.  355 


traced  to  the  direction  of  the  mountains;  but  they  disappeared  afc 
a  point  where  three  or  four  rocky  tracks  diverge. 

•  On  my  return  to  Zaraisk  I  ascertained  that  the  door  of  my 
house  had  not  been  forced,  but  had  been  opened  by  means  of 
a  key :  this  circumstance,  taken  in  connection  with  the  fact  of 
Kara  Aly's  knowledge  of  my  having  seventeen  thousand  dollars 
in  my  possession,  led  me  to  suspect  that  my  servants  w'ere  some- 
how concerned  in  the  aifair  :  however,  they  all  protested  their 
innocence,  although  I  adopted  every  means  of  arriving  at  the 
truth,  <  that  is  to  say,'  adds  the  reporter,  '  the  whip  and 
bastinado.' 

'  On  the  first  of  November  I  went  to  the  fair  of  Rjarsk,  and 
while  there,  I  saw  wandering  about  amongst  the  booths  two  men 
in  the  dress  of  Tehcremises,  a  people  who  inhabit  the  semi- 
Asiatic  provinces  of  Russia.  Kara  Aly's  features  were  too 
deeply  impressed  upon  my  memory  to  be  for  a  moment  mistaken; 
he  was  one  of  the  two.  The  next  minute  they  were  surrounded 
by  ten  of  my  Cossacks,  who  accompanied  me.  The  resistance 
they  made  was  terrible.  The  people  would  not  lend  us  the 
slightest  aid,  and  the  two  brigands  defended  themselves  furiously 
with  their  yataghans. 

'  One  of  my  Cossacks  was  killed,  and  three  were  wounded.  I 
succeeded,  however,  in  eventually  making  Kara  Aly  my  prisoner 
— for  him  it  was.  He  threw  his  yataghan  on  the  ground,  and 
said,  '  God's  will  be  done  !  Take  me,  do  what  you  will  with  me ; 
I  am  conquered  by  some  strange  fatality.'  Then,  turning  to  his 
companion,  who  was  a  short  distance  behind,  still  struggling  with 
my  men,  'Moussoum,'  said  he,  in  a  loud  voice,  'save  yourself! 
I  name  you  leader  of  the  troop  !' — (to  this  my  men  replied,  with 
a  shout  of  triumph) — '  where,  if  you  ever  yield,  may  your 
tongue  become  silent  as  a  stone  !'  Fortunately,  Moussoum  sur- 
rendered without  further  resistance,  and  we  proceeded  to  bind 
them  together. 

'  When  they  were  in  prison  they  both  observed  a  strict  silence, 
and  nothing  could  induce  either  of  them  to  afford  the  slightest 
information,  with  regard  to  their  associates.     At  length  Mous- 


356  TUE   TARTAR   BANDIT. 


soum,  after  undergoing  the  torture  with  great  fortitude,  permitted 
these  words  to  escape  him  : 

' '  Search  on  the  Krym  al  (mountain  of  Krym,)  and  you  will 
find  the  cavern  of  Mustapha  Iblis  (Mustapha  the  DeviL)' 

'  Having  obtained  this  information,  slight  as  it  appeared,  I 
forthwith  set  off  for  the  mountain,  at  the  head  of  two  hundred 
foot  soldiers  and  fifty  Cossacks.  Having  arrived  at  the  path 
which  leads  to  its  summit,  I  placed  the  Cossacks,  and  one  hun- 
dred of  the  foot  soldiers,  there,  in  order  to  prevent  any  escape 
by  that  route,  and,  taking  the  other  hundred  with  me,  I  took  the 
straight  road  which  leads  direct  to  the  cavern  that  3Ioussoum  had 
mentioned. 

'  We  had  advanced  but  a  few  paces,  when  we  saw  a  man  run- 
ning away;  we  instantly  afterwards  heard  a  musket-shot  fol- 
lowed almost  immediately  by  several  others  : — three  of  my  men 
were  shot  dead,  and  several  others  were  wounded.  This,  how- 
ever, did  not  check  our  advance;  and  in  less  than  an  hour  we 
reached  the  cave. 

'  The  firing  suddenly  ceased.  A  large  and  heavy  stone  secured 
the  entrance  of  the  cave.  This  we  contrived  to  remove,  and, 
with  our  bayonets  at  the  charge,  entered  in  perfect  darkness. 
Its  inmates,  however,  had  fled  :  before  the  fire  we  found  their 
victuals  all  ready  for  eating,  but  not  a  buman  being  was  left  be- 
hind. When  we  listened,  we  could  hear  the  heavy  tramp  of 
horses,  and  cries  which  seemed  to  come  from  under  the  ground 
on  which  we  stood. 

'  The  soldiers,  in  their  superstitious  ignorance,  hesitated  as  to 
proceeding  further,  fancying  that  the  cries  were  those  of  infernal 
spirits,  who  were  angry  with  us  for  disturbing  them.  Luckily, 
however,  we  discovered  an  opening  in  the  opposite  side  of  the 
cavern,  which,  although  narrow  at  first,  widened  in  its  length,  and 
brought  us  again  into  daylight,  which  showed  us  the  marks  of 
the  horses'  feet  which  we  had  previously  heard :  by  this  route 
we  reached  the  position  where  I  had  left  the  Cossacks,  whom  we 
found  in  possession  of  four  of  the  brigands  slightly  wounded, 


,i 


THE   TARTAR   BANDIT.  359 


and  a  female,  who,  in  their  company,  had  attempted  to  escape  on 
horseback. 

'  We  afterwards  returned  and  searched  the  cavern,  but  could 
discover  nothing  except  arms  of  diiferent  sorts,  dresses  of  differ- 
ent descriptions,  rich  stuffs,  and  provisions  in  plenty,  but  no 
money ;  and  when  I  questioned  the  brigands  as  to  the  place 
jyhere  the  treasure  was  deposited,  they  uniformly  answered  that 
God  and  the  Khan  alone  knew  where  the  money  was  concealed, 
they  having  given  the  title  of  Khan  to  Kara  Aly.  I  immedi- 
ately had  the  prisoners  conveyed  to  Zaraisk. 

*  When  Kara  Aly  was  informed  of  the  result  of  my  expedi- 
tion, and  the  capture  of  his  accomplices,  he  implored  me  to  per- 
mit him  to  see  his  beloved  Fazry,  the  young  female  who  had 
fallen  into  our  hands.  Being  anxious,  if  possible,  to  ascertain 
where  the  treasure,  of  which  he  was  unquestionably  master,  had 
been  hidden,  I  told  him  that  if  he  would  give  me  information 
upon  that  point,  Fazry  should  be  brought  to  him.  But  all  the  an- 
swer I  could  obtain  was  a  shake  of  his  head,  with  these  words, 
again  uttered  with  a  deep  sigh,  "  God's  will  be  done  I"  I  could 
procure  no  other  reply. 

The  examination  having  been  completed,  a  commission  from 
the  criminal  tribunal  at  Kazan  was  sent  to  verify  them,  after 
which  the  tribunal,  on  the  21st  of  December,  1837,  pronounced 
the  sentence,  which  condemned  Kara  Aly  to  one  hundred 
lashes  of  the  knout,  Moussoum,  Kcndjibeck,  Mumag,  Sa- 
harin,  and  Ywan  Rubtchenko,  twenty-five  lashes  each,  and 
subsequently  to  be  banished  for  life  to  hard  labour  in  the 
mines  of  Siberia,  Fazry  declared  innocent,  and  immediately  set 
at  liberty. 

On  the  fourth  of  January,  1838,  the  post  or  horse  (kobilitza) 
to  which  the  criminals  are  fastened  who  are  destined  to  receive 
the  punishment  of  the  knout,  was  early  in  the  morning  erected 
in  the  grand  place  of  Kazan,  and  all  the  people  of  the  town,  of 
the  neighbouring  villages,  and  even  from  the  mountains,  crowded 
to  this  immense  square,  on  the  scaffold  in  the  midst  of  which 
stood  the  executioner  armed  with  his  knout,  and  attended  by  his 


360  THE   TARTAR   BANDIT. 


three  assistants,  who  were  selected  from  amongst  the  degraded 
class  of  •dog-killers  (hitzel.) 

At  ten  o'clock;  amidst  the  murmur  of  anxiety  and  impatience 
which  always  precedes  a  melancholy  spectacle,  the  sis  culprits 
were  brought  out. 

Kara  Aly  walked  first,  his  head  erect,  his  eyes  bright  and 
fierce,  his  step  firm  3  the  executioner  having  taken  off  his  clothes, 
he  permitted  him,  without  a  word,  without  a  look,  or  the  slight- 
est demonstration  of  feeling,  to  fasten  him  to  the  dreadful  kobi- 
litza,  and  when  he  struck  him  the  first  blow  with  the  terrible  in- 
strument of  punishment,  formed  of  lashes  of  leather,  each  lash 
having  at  its  end  an  iron  hook,  Kara  Aly  fiinched  not ;  neither 
groan  nor  sigh  escaped  him,  although  the  executioner  continued 
bis  horrid  duty,  interrupted  only  by  periodically  taking  large 
bumpers  of  brandy.  The  number  of  blows  were  anxiously  counted 
by  the  crowds  who  surrounded  the  scafi'old,  and  who  were  abso- 
lutely terrified  at  what  appeared  the  superhuman  fortitude  of  the 
suffering  victim. 

The  hundredth  blow  having  plashed  into  his  bleeding 
back,  Kara  Aly  was  loosened  from  the  kobilitza,  but 
the  executioner  held  in  his  arms  only  a  corpse — Kara  Aly  was 
dead  ! 

His  five  accomplices  received  their  twenty-five  lashes  each, 
and  following  the  example  of  their  leader,  uttered  no  murmur 
of  complaint ;  after  the  punishment  their  mangled  bodies  were 
removed  to  the  hospital,  whence,  if  they  recover  from  the  efi"ccts 
of  the  discipline,  they  will  be,  according  to  their  sentence,  trans- 
ported to  the  government  mines  at  Nertchynsk 

The  search  after  the  treasures  which  were  unquestionably  in 
Kara  Aly's  possession  in  the  cavern,  has  been  renewed,  but  with- 
out success.  Fazry  has  remained  ever  since  the  execution  in  a  state 
of  stupor,  which  the  faculty  are  of  opinion  will  settle  into  melan- 
choly madness;  and  the  Assessor  TrazoflF,  has  been  rewarded 
for  his  zeal  and  success  by  receiving  the  decoration  of  the  order 
of  St.  Anne. 


PUNISHMENT   OF  KARA  ALY. 


31 


CALED  AND  OBEIDAH: 

OR,   THE    SCHOOLMASTER   OF   MEDINA. 

In  the  third  year  of  the  Calif  Ali,  the  son  of  Abu  Taleb,  a 
poor  schoolmaster  of  Medina  dismissed  his  pupils  to  their  play, 
beneath  a  shady  palm-tree,  near  the  sacred  mosque  which  con- 
tained the  tomb  of  the  prophet.  The  young  boys  went  forth  joy- 
fully to  freedom,  and  the  long-bearded  sage,  himself  unobserved, 
overlooked  their  sports  from  a  neighbouring  seat.  For  a  time, 
the  fiery  little  Arabs  amused  themselves  in  peace,  and  the  philoso- 
pher smiled  as  he  listened  to  their  artless  remarks,  and  sighed  as 
he  remembered  the  days  that  were  gone.  He  was  reputed  the 
wisest  and  best  Mussulman  within  the  walls  of  the  city,  and  it 
was  asserted  that  his  benevolence  equalled  his  wisdom.  Every 
body  loved  the  good  Amrou ;  and  the  few  children  who  were 
committed  to  his  care,  among  the  illiterate  and  warlike  Saracens 
of  that  remote  age,  were  expected,  not  only  to  attain  knowledge 
enough  to  interpret  the  koran,  and  to  cure  diseases,  but  to  read 
human  destiny  in  the  sky,  that  lay  ever  brilliant  and  burning 
over  the  sandy  plains  of  Arabia. 

While  the  children  were  at  play,  a  spider,  which  had  acci- 
dentally crawled  upon  their  path,  attracted  the  attention  of 
Hassan. 

"Look,"  said  the  lad,  "what  a  vile  insect.  He  shall  not  live 
another  moment !" 

"  Stay  thy  foot,  Hassan !"  cried  the  eager  Obeidah,  "  do  not 
destroy  it.     Stay  thy  foot !" 

"  Nay — take  thy  hand  from  my  shoulder,  good  Obeidah,"  re- 
plied Hassan.  "  See  !  the  grim  wretch  is  gliding  away  into  the 
grass.     I  will  kill  him !     I  swear  it !     Take  off  thy  hand !" 

(363) 


364  '        CALEU    AND    OBEIDAII. 


"  Hassan,"  urged  the  other  firmly,  "  thou  shalfc  not  kill 
Lim !" 

''Obeidah " 

"  I  have  heard  a  story  of  the  spider,"  continued  the  other, 
"  which  makes  me  love  him." 

<'  By  the  beard  of  the  great  apostle  himself  !"  exclaimed  the 
now  angry  Hassan,  "I  tell  thee  I  will  crush  this  poisonous 
wretch  !  Let  go  my  arm  !  What  care  I  for  thy  tales  ?  Thou 
art  a  girl  to  pity  a  spider,  and  be  melted  by  stories  \" 

And  he  attempted  to  reach  the  poor  insect  with  a  furious 
stamp,  but  Obeidah  caught  him  yet  more  powerfully,  and  said,  in 
a  determined  tone, 

"  Hassan,  before  thou  proceedest  to  provoke  me  by  again  striv- 
ing to  do  what  I  swear,  by  Allah,  thou  shalt  not  do  !  hear  my 
reason." 

And  while  Hassan  looked  up  fiercely,  too  much  astonished  for 
the  moment  to  disobey,  the  rest  of  the  young  auditors  drew 
round  in  a  circle,  some  to  hear  the  story,  and  some  to  enjoy  the 
expected  battle. 

"  The  reason  why  thou  shalt  not  kill  the  creature,"  said  Obei- 
dah, "is  this:  I  have  heard  my  grandfather  say,  that  he  was  one 
of  the  emissaries  of  the  korcish,  who,  when  the  great  apostle  of 
God  was  driven  from  Mecca,  hunted  him  like  a  beast,  and  strove 
to  take  his  life.  The  prophet  had  hidden  in  a  cavern,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  the  city,  and  the  koreish  had  every  where 
sought  him  with  eager  revenge  till  they  came  to  the  mouth  of 
this  cave.  They  were  about  to  explore  it,  when  one,  observing 
a  pigeon's  nest  and  a  spider's  web  across  the  entrance,  declared 
them  sufiicient  evidence  that  no  one  could  be  within,  and,  as  they 
were  in  haste,  called  off  the  pursuers  to  another  quarter.  God's 
vicar  on  earth  was  thus  shielded  from  their  ciraeters.  Since  that 
time  my  grandsire  became  a  believer,  and  has  taught  me  never 
to  destroy  cither  a  pigeon  or  a  spider." 

"  Fool !"  vociferated  Hassan,  "I  mind  thee  and  thy  grandsira 
alike,  and  neither  more  than  the  wind.  I  will  kill  the  thing,  if 
it  be  but  to  spite  thee  !" 


CALED   AND   OBEIDAn.  365 


He  tore  himself  from  the  grasp  of  his  opponent,  and  sought 
bis  victim,  but  it  had  very  judiciously  seized  the  opportunity  to 
withdraw,  leaving  the  end  of  Obeidah's  story  to  others  more  in- 
terested. 

"Coward  and  slave  \"  cried  Obeidah,  in  a  fury,  ''I  will  tear 
out  thine  eyes !  I  will  dash  out  thy  teeth  I" 

And  the  two  combatants  flew  at  each  other  with  all  the  ferocity 
of  hate  and  passion.  While  they  were  fighting,  Amrou,  their 
master,  came  among  them,  and,  after  separating  them,  proceeded 
to  inflict  on  each  a  severe  punishment.  He  then  harangued 
them  on  their  wicked  disposition  to  quarrel,  and  promised  them 
the  same  penalty  in  case  the  offence  were  repeated. 

Long  before  the  day  had  declined,  and  while  the  boys  were 
dismissed  once  more  to  their  afternoon  sports  beneath  the  palm, 
Obeidah  entangled  himself  in  a  new  difficulty.  Caled,  a  youth 
of  great  personal  beauty  and  of  a  thoughtful  demeanour,  had 
stolen  away  from  his  companions  to  a  quiet  spot,  where,  quite 
alone,  he  seemed  lost  in  his  own  reflections.  Obeidah,  still 
smarting  under  the  blows  he  had  received  in  the  morning,  and 
believing  the  severe  Amrou  to  be  out  of  sight  and  hearing,  took 
pains  to  follow  the  unofi"ending  Caled,  and  maliciously  tried  every 
possible  endeavour  to  break  his  solitude,  and  to  disturb  his 
thoughts.  Caled  yielded  the  place  and  removed  to  one  in  an 
opposite  direction,  but  still  he  was  pursued  by  Obeidah. 

"  Why  dost  thon  delight  in  breaking  my  repose  ?"  demanded 
Caled.  "I  never  injured  thee,  or  if  I  have,  it  was  unconsciously, 
and  I  pray  thy  forgiveness." 

"I  follow  thee,  because  I  despise  thee!"  cried  Obeidah 
sternly. 

"What  have  I  done  to  merit  thy  contempt?" 

"  Every  thing  that  a  ma7i  would  not  do.  Thou  art  a  coward 
and  a  woman !" 

"  I  beseech  thee,  good  Obeidah,  begone  !" 

"I  am  not  'good  Obeidah,'  and  I  will  not  begone." 

"  Then  /  will  depart  from  thee." 

"  If  thou  dost,  I  will  follow.     I  saw  thee  smile  to-day,  when 

31- 


366  CALEB   AND   OBEIDAH. 


the  tyrant  Amrou  disgraced  me  witli  a  scourge.  Wliy  didst  thou 
dare  to  smile  to  see  me  under  the  lash — me,  the  superior  of  theo 
and  thine  V 

«  Obeidah " 


"  Thy  father  is  a  traitor  !" 

"  My  dear  Obeidah." 

"  Thy  mother  is  untrue  V 

"  I  have  never  deserved  this !"  cried  Caled,  shrinking  and 
weeping. 

"  Thou  comest  of  a  race  of  cowards  and  recreants.  Thy  uncle 
Hamza  fought  against  the  prophet,  till  fear  made  him  crouch  at 
the  feet  of  him  he  ha,d  injured." 

"  But  that  our  master,  Amrou,  forbids  it,  I  would  make  thee 
retract  thy  wicked  words,"  said  Caled,  but  shrinking  yet  farther 
against  the  wall  from  the  clenched  fist,  planted  foot,  and  flashing 
eye  of  his  fierce  opponent. 

At  this  instant  the  signal  of  Amrou  once  more  assembled  his 
little  charge,  and,  to  the  astonishment  of  all,  he  ordered  the 
timid  Caled  to  undergo  the  same  punishment  for  refusing  to  com- 
bat, as  had  been  previously  inflicted  on  the  others  for  having 
fought. 

Obeidah,  who  since  the  morning  had  seemed  gradually  to  grow 
more  haughty  and  fearless  of  consequences,  now  stepped  forward 
boldly,  and  said — 

"  Oh,  Amrou,  I  brand  thee  with  caprice  and  injustice,  and 
thou  shalt  no  longer  be  my  master  \" 

"  How  !  insolent  boy  T' 

"  I  repeat  my  words.  Thou  art  no  longer  my  master  !  I  call 
upon  my  companions  to  break  thy  sceptre,  and  hurl  thee  from 
thy  throne.  Every  inhabitant  of  Medina  will  pronounce  against 
thee." 

With  these  words  he  started  up,  and  was  joined  by  all  his 
mates.  The  weeping  Caled,  alone,  shrank  back  and  crouched  to 
the  side  of  him  who  had  just  scourged  him. 

At  this  instant,  surrounded  by  many  chiefs  of  the  tribes  and 
companions  of  the  prophet,  clothed  in  a  loose  gown,  with  a  coarse 


CALED   AND   OBEIDAII  367 


turban  on  his  head,  the  Calif  Ali,  attracted  by  the  noise,  on  hid 
return  from  prayer  at  the  mosque,  entered  the  apartment. 

"How!"  cried  the  venerable  sovereign,  "What  riot  is  this? 
Must  the  very  prayers  of  the  faithful  be  disturbed  by  the  brawl- 
ing of  boys  !     What  is  the  cause  of  this  ?" 

No  ouc  could  look  on  the  majestic  Ali  without  fear  and  awe. 
He  was  next  the  prophet  in  the  reverence  of  the  Saracens.  He 
had  been,  even  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  the  first  proselyte  of  Is- 
lamisra,  the  firmest  supporter  and  most  confidential  personal 
friend  of  Mahomet  himself.  Seated,  at  length,  on  the  throne  of 
Arabia  (for  it  was  not  till  twenty-four  years  after  the  death  of 
the  prophet  that  he  was  invested  with  the  regal  and  sacerdotal 
office,)  though  in  his  manners  and  dress,  he  exhibited  the  primitive 
simplicity  of  his  people,  he  was  rash,  intrepid,  and  fiery — a  despot 
over  the  minds  as  well  as  the  bodies  of  his  subjects.  While  he 
exercised  over  their  domestic  afiairs  the  personal  jurisdiction  of  a 
father,  he  punished  with  the  summary  power  of  a  monarch,  and, 
sometimes,  of  a  tyrant.  The  boys,  astounded  by  the  angry  pre- 
sence of  their  calif,  stood  around  him  mute,  trembling,  and  pale; 
and  the  dusky  complexion  of  Amrou  himself,  if  reliance  can  be 
placed  on  subsequent  report,  exhibited  a  fainter  shade  beneath 
the  folds  of  his  turban. 

The  calif  repeated  his  question  in  a  sterner  tone,  and  Amrou, 
bending  ofttimes  low  at  the  monarch's  feet,  was  about  to  attempt 
an  explanation,  and  had  proceeded  as  far  as  "  Oh,  invincible,  in- 
expressible calif,  sword  of  God,  vicegerent  of  the  holy  apostle — " 
when  the  calif  cut  him  short : — 

"  Stay,  thou  trembling  slave  !  I  will  none  of  thy  excuses  and 
falsehoods  !  It  is  such  as  thou  that  weaken  our  armies  by  keep- 
ing our  sons  at  home,  and  teaching  them  to  talk  instead  of  fight; 
breaking  down  their  fierj  spirits  with  idle  learning.  Of  what 
oppression  has  he  been  guilty  ?  speak,  my  brave  rebels,  and  you 
lofty  youth  at  their  head.  Tell  me,  boy,  what  tyranny  in  thy 
padagogue  has  raised  you  into  this  childish  war.  If  he  hath  tram- 
pled on  your  infant  rights,  by  Allah  !  his  head  shall  roll  for  it, 


368  CALEB   AND   OBEIDAH. 


and  that  ere  we    stir  a  foot.     Speak   fearlessly — what   has  he 
done?" 

"He  has  oppressed  us,"  said  the  revengeful  Obeidah.  "I  did 
but  seek  to  save  a  spider,  because  that  insect,  at  the  cave  of 
Mecca,  rescued  the  life  of  the  true  prophet  from  the  bands  of  the 
Koreish !" 

"  Ay  ?"  continued  the  calif,  stroking  his  beard,  and  casting  a 
fierce  glance  upon  the  crouching  Amrou. 

"  I  would  have  saved  it  at  the  hazard  of  my  life,  and  I  fought 
like  a  lion ;  but  the  tyrant  striped  me  for  breaking  the  peace 
of  his  school." 

"  Hosein,"  said  AH ;  "  thy  duty  !" 

A  swarthy  slave,  at  the  significant  sign  of  his  master's  finger, 
stepped  forward  and  seized  his  victim.  The  fatal  bowstring  was 
produced  in  an  instant.  Amrou,  recovering  his  courage  and  dig- 
nity in  proportion  as  his  danger  grew  more  inevitable,  stood  high 
and  stern,  even  as  the  calif  himself. 

"Companion  of  the  prophet !"  he  said,  in  a  firm  voice;  "The 
near  sight  of  death  for  a  moment,  appalled  me;  but  the  weakness 
has  passed.  Ere  thou  reach  thy  palace,  I  shall  be  before  God 
and  his  company,  with  his  prophet  to  proclaim  thy  injustice." 

"  Go,"  said  Ali,  and  a  moment  more  would  have  consummated 
the  deed,  when  Caled,  triumphing  in  the  destruction  of  his  mas- 
ter, cried  out, 

"  He  merits,  0,  mighty  calif,  a  double  death ;  for,  while  he 
lashed  Obeidah  for  battling  with  Hassan,  he  capriciously  scourged 
me,  because  I  refused  to  conflict  with  Obeidah." 

"What!  the  same  penalty  for  exactly  contrary  actions?  Thou 
art  either  worse  or  better  than  I  believed,"  said  Ali.  "  My  cu- 
riosity is  excited.     Canst  thou  defend  thyself,  Amrou  ?" 

"If  thou  wilt  permit  me,"  cried  the  Arabian  teacher  o^ 
youth. 

"Proceed,"  said  the  calif. 

"  Know,  then,  0,  immortal  son  of  Abu  Taleb !  that  the  gov- 
ernment of  children,  like  that  of  nations,  requires  wisdom  pro- 
found, and  is  often  apparently,  unjust  and  inconsistent.     We  are 


CALED   AND   OBEIDAU.  369 


obliged  to  examine  tle<?p]y  into  each  disposition,  and  to  discover 
their  respective  relations  to  future  events.  I  confess,  I  have 
punished  one  of  my  children  for  not  committing  an  action,  for 
the  commission  of  which  I  punished  another ;  and  I  shall,  there- 
fore, be  charged  by  the  thoughtless  with  passion  and  caprice. 
Of  both  I  am  innocent;  and  so  far  from  having  yielded,  in  either 
case  to  my  own  private  feelings,  I  assure  you  that  I  equally  re- 
coiled from  them  both.  Caled  and  Obediah,  0  calif!  the  two 
youths  who  have  spoken  against  me,  are  the  two  most  conspicu- 
ous characters  in  my  school.  Obeidah  is  in  heart  a  rebel  and  a 
despot.  He  possesses  natural  qualities  in  a  most  eminent  degree, 
which,  as  he  emerges  from  hi.s  little  school  and  enters  upon  the 
world,  would  prove,  not  only  misery  and  ruin  to  himself,  but  dis- 
turbance and  danger,  to  his  family,  friends  and  country.  His 
courage  is  not  only  of  a  kind  to  lead  him  into  war,  and  render 
him  a  gallant  soldier  and  a  f.iithful  subject,  but  his  overbearing 
nature  demands  submission  in  all  casL'^  lliglit  or  wrong,  from 
all  persons,  friends  or  enemies,  old  or  young,  liis  inferiors,  his 
equals,  or  his  superiors,  all  alike,  must  bi'nd  to  the  despotism  of 
Obeidah.  This  is  the  grand  feature  of  his  character,  v»'hich  alune 
has  been  in  my  hands  utterly  uniuauageable.  His  other  quali- 
ties are  so  feeble,  and  moreover,  so  well  balanced,  as  to  require 
no  attention  from  me.  His  avidity  after  knowledge  is  also  more 
than  sufficient.  He  has  no  fault,  but  his  domineering  arregance. 
To  repress,  shame,  and  destroy  it,  has  been  my  sole  endeavour 
in  my  treatment  of  him.  How  justly  I  read  his  character  tliis 
day  has  proved ;  for  his  revengeful  and  audacious  heart  has  felt 
no  pity  at  the  sight  of  the  venerable  instructor  of  his  youth  on 
the  brink  of  ruin.  The  same  spirit  which  triumphs  over  me, 
will  one  day,  unless  checked,  defy  even  thee  on  thy  throne,  as 
thou  hast  seen  it  to-day  beard  me  on  mine." 

"It  is  false,"  cried  Obeidah,  fiercely  and  aloud. 

Amrou  looked  at  the  calif,  who  smiled;  and  Obeidah,  detect- 
ing the  silent  interchange  of  opinion  between  them,  and  foresee- 
.jng  the  escape  of  his  master  and  his  own  renewed  punishment. 


370  CALED   AND   OBEIDAH. 


Btamped  his  foot  passionately  upon  the  floor;  and  dashed  his 
clenched  fist  in  a  fury  against  his  forehead. 

"  But  where  is  Caled?"  cried  the  calif. 

"  Behold  him  I"  resumed  Amrou,  as  the  slender  and  beautiful 
?joy  stood  timidly  shrinking  in  the  farthest  corner.  "  There  is 
Caled ;  and,  in  that  pale,  girlish  face,  those  trembling  knees, 
you  read  his  character.  He  is  a  coward.  A  feminine  refine- 
ment causes  him  to  recoil  from  all  intercourse  with  his  mates. 
He  revenges  no  insult.  He  rises  against  no  oppression.  He  has 
not  as  much  soul  as  a  woman.  In  educating  him  I  have  had  a 
task  exactly  opposite  to  that  devolved  upon  me  by  the  charge  of 
Obeidah ;  and,  consequently,  I  have  been  forced  to  resort  to  dif- 
ferent means.  The  bully,  who  seizes  each  occasion  of  conflict,  I 
always  restrain  and  punish  for  his  brutal  ferocity ;  while  this 
faint-hearted  youth  I  have  striven  to  urge  on  by  promises  and 
threats  to  the  acts  of  a  man  and  a  sol  Her.  "Were  these  two  boys 
grown  to  maturity,  0  calif,  and  tal;  ai  into  thy  employ,  Caled 
would  cunningly  liccoine  thy  vizier,  and  Obeidah  thy  chief. 
They  are  both  v.'ithout  virfue,  and  both  gifted  with  genius.  Un- 
less I  succeed  in  breaking  down  the  natural  vices  of  their  cha- 
racter, both  might  win  thy  confidence,  and  neither  would  deserve 
it.  Obeidah  would  rebel  against  thee — Caled  would  betray  thee. 
The  one  would  r.ffiiolc  flu'o  wirh  thy  own  armies,  and  the  other 
assassinate  thee  v/ifli  tliy  ^^yn  dagger." 

"  Allah  acbar — God  is  good  I"  said  the  calif. 

"Thou  art  free,  Amrou,  and  to  reward  thy  wisdom  and  com- 
2")ensate  thy  fright,  I  decree  thee  cacdi  year  a  purse  of  gold. 
Hereafter  I  will  guide  my  subjects,  and  leave  thee  to  thy 
scholars.  We  are  both  in  the  station  for  which  heaven  de- 
signed us." 

Thus  saying,  the  snn  of  AbuTaleb  departed;  and  it  is  believed, 
on  ni'.ilii'ntic  t.'^'inionv.  tbit  tbe  strinf'  intended  for  the  neck  of 
Amrou,  found  more  appropriate  cmplojMuent  on  the  backs  of  the 
pale  Caled  and  the  foaming  Obeidah. 

Ton  years  had  rolled  away  over  the  conquests  of  the  Saracens, 


*.l 


CALED   AND   OBEIDAH.  371 


and  witnessed  the  rapid  rise  of  that  remote  band  of  Arabians  to 
the  dignity  and  power  of  a  mighty  nation.  Already  in  the  large 
stars  that  kindled  over  Mecca,  had  the  astrologers  read  thq,  daz- 
zling career  of  their  armies  and  their  philosophers ;  predicting  to 
those  fervid  sons  of  the  desert,  splendid  victories  in  remote  climes 
and  over  remote  nations — dominion  over  Pei'sia,  Syria,  Egypt, 
Africa,  and  Europe,  and  perhaps  the  mastery  of  the  whole 
globe. 

Their  bright  career,  however,  was  not  without  shadows  ;  and 
AH  heard  with  surprise,  though  without  fear,  that  a  powerful 
Arabian  chief,  escaped  from   Medina  to  Mecca,  and  thence  to 
Bassora,  had  erected  the  standard  of  revolt  and  usurped  the  gov- 
ernment of  Irak,  or  Assyria.     Ayesha,  the  widow  of  the  prophet, 
who  hated  the  family  of  Abu  Taleb,  accompanied  their  flight  and 
sustained  their  cause  at  the  head  of  thirty  thousand  men.     The 
calif  Ali  met  them  beneath  the  walls  of  Bassora.     Ayesha,  who 
had  chosen  her  post  amid  the  dangers  of  the  field,  urged  on  the 
troops  of  the  i-ebels.     It  is  reported,  that,  of  the  faithful  slaves 
who  held   the   bridle  of  her   camel,  seventy  in  succession  were 
killed  or  wounded,  and  her  cage  or  litter  "was  struck  with  jave- 
lins and  darts,  like  the  quills  of  a  porcupine."     At  length  her 
soldiers  gave  way  before  the  tremendous  cry  of  the  calif,  "Allah 
acbar!"  God  is  victorious!  and  the  field  of  the  triumphant  Ali 
was  occupied  by  no  enemies  except  the  captives  and  slain.     The 
widow  of  Mahomet  was  treated  with  tenderness  and  dismissed 
with  honour,  but  death  was  doomed  to  the  commander  of  the 
traitors.     He  was  dragged,  fierce,  foaming,  and  stained  with  dust 
and  blood,  before  the  conqueror's  throne ;  and,  in  the  desperate 
chieftain  of  Medina,  the  monarch  recognized  Obeidah,  the  yet 
unforgotten  pupil  of  Amrou.     The  same   Hosein  who  had  then 
stepped  to  the  side  of  the  pedagogue,  now  stood  before  the  youth. 
In  one  moment  the  fatal  string  was  at  his  throat,  and  the  next  a 
clod-like  and  senseless  trunk  was  flung  to  the  dogs,  and  a  ghastly 
head  dripped  over  the  most  public  gate  of  Bassora.     This  victory 
is  styled  by  the  Moslem  historians,  the  "day  of  the  camel." 
Many  sanguinary  contests  ensued,  in  whicji  the  son  of  Abu 


372 


CALED  AND   OBEIDAH. 


Taleb  displayed  the  dignified  superiority  of  a  warrior  and  a  states- 
man. But  the  disobedience  of  his  soldiers  often  wrested  from 
his  grasp  the  advantages  of  his  triumphs ;  till  one  day  in  the 
mosque  at  Ciifa,  a  single  form,  kneeling  to  present  a  petition, 
was  suffered  to  approach  him  in  a  moment  of  privacy  and  solitude. 
"  Thou  art  Caled,"  cried  Ali  placing  his  hand  upon  his  cimeter, 
partly  with  an  involuntary  recollection  of  the  prediction  of  Am- 
rou,  and  partly  moved  by  the  dark  expression  in  the  countenance 
of  his  companion.  But  the  action  was  too  late.  Age  had  stif- 
fened his  arm.  Before  the  blade  had  left  the  scabbard,  the  pale 
Caled  had  inflicted  a  mortal  wound.  The  assassin  would  have 
escaped,  but  for  an  accident  which  summoned  the  attendants. 

"  We  will  torture  him,"  said  one  of  the  calif's  sons,  "  for  an 
eternity!" 

''No,  no!"  cried  the  expiring  moriarcli,  st'Il  b:nevo!ent  in 
death,  "no  torture.  It  is  useless.  It  is  unworthy.  Let  him 
die,  but  at  once,  and  by  a  single  stroke." 

He  was  obeyed.  The  terror  and  the  existence  of  Caled  ceased 
in  an  instant.  His  head  was  throvrn  to  the  rabble  at  the  gate. 
Ali  breathed  his  last  at  the  same  moment )  and  Moawiyah,  the 
son  of  Abu  Sophian,  reigned  in  his  stead. 

The  good  calif  was  honoured  w.ith  a  tomb,  a  temple,  and  a 
city,  the  ruins  of  which,  to  this  day  attract  the  feet  of  pilgrims 
across  the  burning  desert. 


CHINESE   COSTUMES. 


P.  373. 


CAPTURE  OF  CIIUZAN. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  4th  of  July,  I  accompanied  Captain 
Fletcher,  commander  of  his  majesty's  ship  Wellesley,  on  board 
the  Chinese  Admiral's  junk,  which  we  recognised  by  its  more 
numerous  pennons  and  three  tigers'  heads  painted  on  the  stern. 
Our  orders  were  to  summon  the  town  and  island  to  surrender 
within  six  hours. 

As  we  shoved  alongside  the  Admiral's  junk,  they  ran  their 
gangway  guns  out ;  but  before  they  could  make  any  preparation 
for  resistance,  (if  they  had  intended  it,)  we  jumped  on  board, 
with  our  interpreter,  and  were  surrounded  by  swarms  that 
seemed  to  gather  from  every  crevice  of  the  vessel :  and-  when  it 
was  seen  on  shore  that  we  were  on  board  the  junk,  numbers 
wuJcd  off  from  the  town. 

Tlicy  showed  not  the  slightest  mark  of  hostility,  but  received 
us  with  great  civility ;  informing  us  that  the  Admiral  was  on 
shore,  with  the  other  great  officers  of  the  district,  but  they  had 
sent  to  apprize  him  of  our  arrival.  During  the  visit,  they 
handed  round  tea ;  but  not  such  tea  as  the  ladies  in  England 
would  approve  of,  for  the  Chinese  always  drink  it  so  weak  that 
the  water  is  barely  tinged,  and  the  leaves  of  the  plant  form  a 
necessary  part  of,  the  nauseous  mixture.  In  the  course  of  half 
an  hour  the  Chumpin  and  suite  arrived :  he  was  an  old  man,  aud 
bore  in  his  face  the  marks  of  opium;  he  wore  a  red  button  iu 
his  cap,  and  the  other  officers  mounted  blue  and  white,  according 
to  their  different  grades,  these  being  the  distinguishing  marks 
of  rank  from  the  emperor  downwards. 

We  opened  the  summons,  and  they  read  it  in  our  presence, 
and  indeed  before  the  assembled  troop.  The  deep  groans  and 
increasing  pressure  of  the  people  warned  us  that  wo  were  amongst 

32  (373) 


374  THE   CAPTURE   OF    CIIUZAN. 


a  hostile  multitude ;  and  from  that  moment  I  have  ever  doubted 
the  fiction,  so  industriously  circulated  throughout  India,  of  the 
hatred  and  dislike  of  the  natives  in  China  to  their  Tartar  rulers, 
for  it  appeared,  as  far  as  we  had  an  opportunity  of  judging,  to  be 
without  the  slightest  foundation.  The  summons  addressed  to  the 
people  stated  that  no  injury  was  intended  to  them,  but  it  was 
against  their  rulers  and  their  servants  we  had  come  to  make  war 
for  their  unjust  acts.  Of  this  they  seemed  perfectly  aware; 
but  they  hated  the  invading,  barbarians  more  bitterly  than  their 
Tartar  rulers;  and  their  clenched  hands  and  anxious  faces  proved 
to  us  how  false  was  the  idea  that  we  were  come  amongst  a  people 
who  only  waited  for  the  standard  of  the  foreigner  to  throw  off  a 
detested  and  tyrant  yoke. 

After  some  conversation,  they  agreed  to  accompany  us  to  the 
flag-ship ;  and,  upon  our  proposing  to  remain  as  hostages  oa 
board  their  junk,  they  simultaneously  refused,  and  begged  we 
would  take  a  seat  in  their  boat  to  the  Wellesley. 

All  was  here  repeated  to  them,  to  the  same  end  as  wliat  they 
already  knew;  and  the  reason  and  purport  of  our  present  hostile 
movement  on  the  place  was  explained.  They  complained  of  the 
hardship  of  being  made  answerable  for  wrongs  that  we  had  re- 
ceived at  Canton,  and  said  naturally  enough,  "  Those  are  the 
people  you  should  make  war  upon,  and  not  upon  us  who  never 
injured  you  :  we  see  your  strength,  and  know  that  opposition  will 
be  madness,  but  we  must  perform  our  duty,  if  we  fall  in  so 
doing." 

Sir  Gordon  Bremer  entreated  them  to  consider  well  before 
they  attempted  to  defend  what  they  owned  was  impracticable : 
they  promised  to  do  so,  and  he  gave  them  until  the  following- 
morning  to  confer  and  think  over  it.  Their  last  words  before 
quitting  the  ship  were,  "  If  you  do  not  hear  from  us  before  sun- 
rise, the  consequences  be  upon  our  own  heads." 

Whilst  on  board  the  vessel,  they  showed  no  marks  of  astonish- 
ment at  her  size  or  guns,  except  one  man,  whose  fate  I  shall 
afterwards  mention,  and  refused  to  take  any  refreshments  during 


THE   CAPTURE   OF   CIIUZAN.  375 


the  conference,  except  some  sweet  wine,  which  they  seemed  to 
be  well  acquainted  with. 

The  dawn  of  day  brought  much  the  same  spectacle  as  the  pre- 
ceding, excepting  that  a  few  guns  were  mounted  on  the  Jos- 
house  hill,  and  the  mandarins  were  seen  actively  employed  run- 
ning about  along  the  wharf.  Soon  afterwards  they  were 
remarked  to  take  their  different  stands  with  the  troops;  one 
among  them,  with  his  party  in  the  martello  tower,  being  parti- 
cularly conspicuous.  The  war-junks  were  drawn  up  and  crowded 
with  men. 

The  British  men-of-war  were  lying  in  line  with  their  larboard 
broadsides  towards  the  town,  at  a  distance  of  two  hundred  yards 
from  the  wharf  and  foot  of  the  hill.  They  consisted  of  the 
Wellesley,  74  ;  Conway  and  Alligator,  28  ;  Cruiser  and  Alger- 
ia e,  18  J  and  ten  gun-brigs.  At  eight  o'clock,  the  signal  was 
hoisted  to  prepare  for  action  ;  still,  however,  time  was  given  by 
the  Commodore,  hoping  to  the  last  they  would  repent ;  and  it 
was  not  until  two  o'clock  that  the  troops  left  the  transport  in  the 
boats  of  the  squadron,  and  took  up  their  position  in  two  lines  in 
rear  of  the  men-of-war,  to  land  under  cover  of  the  fire.  At  half 
past  two  the  Wellesley  fired  a  gun  at  the  Martello  tower  ;  this  was 
immediately  returned  by  the  whole  line  of  junks,  and  the  guns 
on  the  causeway  and  hill  :  then  the  shipping  opened  their  broad- 
sides upon  the  town,  and  the  crashing  of  timber,  falling  houses, 
and  groans  of  men  resounded  from  the  shore.  The  firing  lasted 
on  our  side  for  nine  minutes ;  but  even  after  it  had  ceased,  a 
few  shots  were  still  heard  from  the  unscathed  junks. 

When  the  smoke  cleared  away,  a  mass  of  ruins  presented 
itself  to  the  eye ;  and  on  the  place  lately  alive  with  men,  none 
but  a  few  wounded  were  to  be  seen  ;  but  crowds  were  visible  in 
the  distance  flying  in  all  directions.  A  few  were  distinguished 
carrying  the  wounded  from  the  junks  into  the  town  ;  and  our 
friend  the  Chumpin  was  seen  borne  from  his  vessel  by  a  faith- 
ful few,  having  lost  his  leg  in  the  action  by  a  round-shot.  It  is 
as  well  here  to  mention  that  he  was  taken  to  Ningpo,  a  town 
on  the  opposite  island ;  and  although  honours  were  heaped  upon 


376  THE    CAFTURE   OF    CHUZAN. 


him  for  his  gallant  but  unavailing  defence,  he  survived  but  a  few 
days  to  wear  them. 

We  had  landed  on  a  deserted  beach ;  a  few  dead  bodies,  bows 
and  arrows,  broken  spears  and  guns,  remaining  the  sole  occupants 
of  the  field. 

The  men  arriving  from  the  boats,  formed  along  the  causeway 
in  line,  and  the  Eighteenth  advanced  up  the  steps  leading  to  the 
temple  on  the  hill.  On  reaching  the  summit,  we  distinguished 
the  inner  town  which  had  not  been  visible  from  the  shipping ;  it 
was  situated  in  a  hollow  in  the  rear  of  the  mount,  and  the  bird's- 
eye  view  was  very  picturesque.  On  the  walls  were  seen  the 
banners  of  the  Chinese  soldiery,  whilst  the  men  crowded  along 
the  ramparts,  beating  their  tontoms  and  gongs,  beckoning  us 
with  their  hands  to  the  attack,  as  the  troops  became  visible  to 
them  on  the  hill.  They  opened  their  wretched  wall-pieces, 
which,  from  their  construction,  can  neither  traverse  nor  be  de- 
pressed, and  which,  being  charged  with  a  bad  description  of 
powder,  did  no  damage  to  the  force. 

In  the  course  of  two  hours  from  the  time  of  leaving  the  ships, 
the  Madras  artillery  had  four  guns  in  position,  and  fired  a  few 
shells  into  the  town ;  the  advanced  picquets  were  posted  j  and 
the  Chinese  fired  upon  the  reconnoitering  parties  from  the  walls, 
wherever  they  became  visible.  The  evening  began  to  close  in  ; 
and  the  commanding  officers  were  desired  to  seek  covering  for 
the  men,  as  Brigadier-General  Burrell  had  determined  not  to 
attack  the  town  before  the  following  morning.  Until  ten  o'clock 
that  night,  the  Chinese  kept  up  a  dropping  fire,  under  cover  of 
which  they  afterwards  appeared  to  have  deserted  the  town. 

During  the  evening,  the  civil  magistrate  and  some  of  his  offi- 
cers were  killed  by  our  shells ;  and  the  Governor  drowned  him- 
self in  a  tank,  when  accused  of  cowardice  by  his  people. 

On  board  the  Admiral's  junk,  to  which  we  had  borne  the 
summons,  were  found  five  wounded  men,  who  had  been  unable  to 
make  their  escape  with  their  comrades :  the  decks  were  covered 
with  clotted  blood,  and  the  Admiral's  papers,  bowls,  and  chop- 
sticks, were  still  in  his  cabin,  where  he  had  taken  his  last  meal  : 


THE   CAPTURE  OF   CHUZAN.  377 


two  of  the  men  were  dead,  and  upon  two  of  the  others  some 
jiaedical  men  of  the  fleet  had  already  performed  amputation  :  but 
the  fifth,  a  young  Mandarin  who  had  accompanied  the  Admiral 
in  the  visit  to  the  Wellcsley,  was  writhing  in  agony;  and  seeing 
the  operation  that  the  doctors  had  performed,  he  pointed  to  his 
shattered  limbs,  and  clasping  his  hands,  implored  them  by  signs 
to  do  something  for  his  relief;  but  it  was  too  desperate  a  case, 
and  past  all  human  remedy,  so  that  in  a  few  hours  he  breathed 
his  last.  This  was  tlie  young  man  who  had  caused  more  inte- 
rest on  board  the  flag- ship  than  any  of  the  rest,  from  the 
cui'iosity  and  frankness  that  he  showed  about  every  thing 

"  Cocknies  of  London,  Muscadins  of  Paris, 
Just  ponder  what  a  glorious  pastime  war  is." 

And  all  this  perpetrated  under  the  plea  of  humanity  !  To  avoid 
bloodshed,  we  are  not  to  attack  Canton,  where  we  had  been  at- 
tacked, and  more  than  once ;  so  our  soldiers  are  ordered  to 
Chuzan,  to  carry  death  and  desolation  amongst  those  who  had 
never  come  in  contact  with  us. 

Some  particulars  are  given  respecting  the  expedition  of  the 
Kite : — 

"The  information  gained  in  this  expedition  was  of  the  most 
valuable  nature,  should  it  be  found  necessary  at  any  future 
period  to  operate  at  this  point.  Sixty  miles  of  the  course  of 
the  Yeang-tse-kiang  had  been  surveyed,  and  a  passage  found  that 
would  permit  a  line-of-battle-ship  to  enter;  and  as  far  as  Captain 
Bethune  could  judge  from  the  nature  of  the  soundings,  country, 
and  run  of  the  river,  there  appeared  nothing  likely  to  stop  a 
vessel's  course  for  many  miles.  Even  if  it  should  not  be  neces- 
sary to  follow  up  the  research,  science  will  have  received  a  most 
interesting  addition  from  the  investigations  of  this  indefatigable 
and  zealous  officer.  The  description  of  some  of  the  Chinese 
forts  hastily  thrown  up  on  the  approach  of  the  ships  was  ludi- 
crous :  many  consisting  of  bamboo  mats,  pierced,  as  if  for  guns 
to  astound  the  barbarians;  for  little  did  they  imagine  that 
through  the  glasses  from  the  ship  this  childish  deception  waa 

easily  discovered." 

32* 


378  THE    CAPTURE   OF   CHtJZAN. 


Thus  "  should  the  treaty  be  broken  off  by  some  unlooked  for 
oeeurrence,  or  some  Chinese  political  bigot  be  substituted  in  the 
room  of  Kashen  as  commissioner,  which  is  not  altogether  impos- 
sible, as  he  is  looked  upon  by  many  of  his  countrymen  as  too 
favourable  to  the  foreigners,  the  indefatigable  researches  wbich 
have  been  made  by  the  squadron  under  the  directions  of  his  ex- 
cellency the  commander-in-chief,  and  the  knowledge  thereby  ob- 
tained of  places  hitherto  unknown,  must  bring  the  contest  to  a 
short  and  decisive  determination.  The  occupation  of  the  forts 
of  the  Bocca  Tigris,  the  blockade  of  the  Yeang-tse  Kiang,  and 
the  cutting  off  all  communication  at  the  mouth  of  the  Imperial 
Canal,  both  at  its  northern  and  southern  mouths,  at  Teen  Sing 
on  the  Peiho  and  on  the  Yoang-tse-Kiang,  would  cause  such 
starvation  and  misery  through  the  northern  provinces,  that  it  would 
at  once  paralyze  all  their  efforts;  and  if  it  were  necessary  to  bring 
matters  to  a  still  speedier  termination,  a  descent  on  their  princi- 
pal towns  along  the  coast.  Canton,  Nankin,  Chapoo,  Amoy,  and 
Teen-sing,  would  bring  such  awful  destruction  and  havoc,  that 
the  people  themselves  would  rise  against  their  government,  and 
the  whole  empire  would  become  one  frightful  scene  of  anarchy 
and  confusion ;  for,  not  only  are  all  these  plans  now  known  to 
be  practical,  but  by  a  cut,  made  either  in  the  ])anks  of  the 
Yeang-tse-Kiang,  or  of  the  Imperial  Canal,  the  Chinese  them- 
selves or  their  invaders  might  render  the  whole  of  the  great  pro- 
vince of  Cheki'ang-ang,  and  the  provinces  far  to  the  northward 
one  scene  of  deluge." 

One  of  the  objects  at  this  place,  that  I  had  the  curiosity  to 
visit,  was  the  opium-smoker  in  his  heaven ;  and  certainly  it  is  u 
most  fearful  sight,  although  perhaps  cot  so  degrading  to  the  eye 
as  the  drunkard  from  spirits,  lowered  to  the  level  of  the  brute 
and  wallowing  in  his  filth.  The  idiot  smile  and  death-like  stupor 
however,  of  the  opium  debauchee,  has  something  far  more  awful 
to  the  gaze  than  the  bestiality  of  the  latter.  Pity,  if  possible, 
takes  the  place  of  other  feelings,  as  we  watch  the  faded  check 
and  haggard  look  of  the  being  abandoned  to  the  power  of  the 


THE    CAPTURE   OF   CIIUZAN.  379 


drug;  whilst  disgust  is   uppermost  at  the  sight  of  the  human 
creature  levelled  to  the  beast  by  intoxication. 

One  of  the  streets  in  the  centre  of  the  town  is  wholly  devoted 
to  the  shops  for  the  sale  of  this  poison  ;  and  here  in  the  evening 
may  be  seen,  after  the  labours  of  the  day  are  over,  crowds  of 
Chinese,  who  seek  these  places  to  satisfy  their  depraved  appe- 
tites. 

The  rooms  where  they  sit  and  smoke  are  surrounded  by 
wooden  couches,  with  places  for  the  head  to  rest  upon,  and  gene- 
rally aside-room  is  devoted  to  gambling.  The  pipe  is  a  reed  of 
about  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  the  aperture  in  the  bowl  for  the 
admission  of  the  opium  is  not  larger  than  a  pin's  head.  The 
drug  is  prepared  from  some  kind  of  conserve,  and  a  very  small 
portion  is  sufficient  to  charge  it ;  one  or  two  whiffs  being  the 
utmost  that  c:in  be  inhaled  from  a  single  pipe ;  and  the  smoke  is 
taken  into  the  luncs  as  from  the  hookah  in  India.  On  a  beojin- 
ner,  one  or  two  pipes  will  have  an  effect ;  but  an  old  stager  will 
continue  smoking  for  hours.  At  the  head  of  each  couch  is 
placed  a  small  lamp,  as  lire  must  be  h'eld  to  the  drug  during  the 
process  of  inhaling;  and  from  the  dilSculty  of  filling  and  pro- 
perly lighting  the  pipe,  there  is  generally  a  person  who  waits  upon 
the  smoker  tn  porfaiii  the  office. 

A  few  days  of  this  fearful  luxury,  when  taken  to  excess,  will 
give  a  pallid  and  haggard  look  to  the  face  ;  and  a  few  montjis,  or 
even  weeks,  will  change  the  strong  and  health}'  man  into  a  little 
better  than  an  idle  skeleton.  The  pain  they  suffer  when  de- 
prived of  the  drug,  after  long  habit,  no  language  can  explain  ; 
and  it  is  only  when  to  a  certain  degree  under  its  influence  that 
their  faculties  are  alive.  In  the  houses  devoted  to  their  ruin, 
these  infatuated  people  may  be  seen  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  eve- 
ning in  all  the  different  stages;  some  entering  half  distracted  to 
feed  the  craving  appetite  they  had  been  obliged  to  subdue  during 
the  day ;  others  laughing  and  talking  wildly  under  the  effects 
of  a  first  pipe ;  whilst  the  couches  around  are  filled  with  their 
different  occupants,  who  lie  languid  with  an  idiot  smile  upon 
their  countenance,  too  much  under  the  influence  of  the  drug  to 


380 


THE   CAPTURE   OF   CHUZAN. 


care  for  passing  events,  and  fast  emerging  to  the  wished  for  con- 
summation. The  last  scene  in  this  tragic  play  is  generally  a 
room  in  the  rear  of  the  building  j  a  species  of  dead  house, 
■where  lie  stretched  those  who  have  passed  into  the  state  of  bliss 
the  opium-smoker  madly  seeks — an  emblem  of  the  long  sleep  to 
which  he  is  blindly  hurrying. 


CHINESE  JU^'KS. 


PEKSIANS. 


P.  SSL 


THE  KING  OF  PERSIA'S  FEMALE  GUARDS. 

Every  one  has  heard,  or  every  one  may  have  heard,  that  his 
Majesty,  the  King  of  Persia,  has  eight  hundred  wives,  or  ladies, 
in  his  harem,  and  that  every  other  man  in  the  country  has  as 
many  as  he  can  keep,  and  more  than  he  can  manage.  European 
husbands,  who  have  only  one,  and  ypt  find  it  difficult  enough  at 
times  to  be  masters  in  their  own  houses,  can  hardly  imagine 
the  straits  their  eastern  brethren  in  matrimony  are  sometimes 
driven  to  by  thus  multiplying  their  domestic  blessings.  A  man 
can  with  little  propriety,  in  this  country,  talk  of  his  rib,  or  his 
better  half;  he  is  the  mere  stem  of  a  cluster  of  dates — a  poor 
dry  stick,  surrounded  and  weighed  down  with  rich  ripe  fruit. 
Yet  he  must  endeavour  to  subdue  the  inveterate  animosities  of 
interested  rivals,  and  contrive  to  preserve  some  order  amidst  the 
discordance  of  the  divided  wives  of  his  bosom  (peace  and  quiet 
he  never  hopes  for.)  As  this  must  absolutely  be  efi"ected  by  his 
own  exertions,  it  being  indecent  even  to  name  his  wife  or  wives 
to  a  neighbour,  or  to  ask  his  advice  or  assistance  under  any  cir- 
cumstances ;  the  science  of  managing  one's  own  family  has  long 
been  the  favourite  pursuit  and  intricate  study  of  the  most  learned 
philosophers  and  able  diplomatists.  Many  are  the  schemes,  good 
and  bad,  to  efi'ect  this  great  purpose,  which  have  been  proposed, 
adopted,  and  rejected  in  their  turn.  The  last,  and  perhaps  one 
of  the  best,  is  that  devised,  and  at  present  actually  practised  by 
the  JMoolah  Alaverdi,  of  the  Ibrahim  Mosque.  It  is  concise, 
simple,  and,  as  far  as  it  goes,  tolerably  efficacious ;  but  it  is  ex- 
tremely limited  in  its  action.  It  consists  in  hanging  up  a  small 
whip,  with  a  whistle  attached,  to  the  right  hand  door-post  of  the 
ladies'  apartment.  When  the  venerable  Moolah  enters,  he  un- 
hooks his  whip,  and  first  gives  a  neat  distinct  whistle,  which  im- 

(381) 


382       TF(£   KING   OF   PERSIA'S   FEMALL   GUARDS 


mediately  assembles  the  ladies  around  him ;  as  the  pipe  of  the* 
shepherd  collects  together  his  dispersed  flock.  He  then  lays  the 
whip  smartly  over  the  back  of  the  first,  or  head  wife,  and  con- 
tinues to  apply  a  similar  discipline  to  every  one  present,  till  each 
has  received  her  portion,  strictly  observing  the  regular  order  of 
precedency  and  rank,  and  carefully  avoiding  all  partiality,  by 
giving  out  his  whole  strength  to  each  blow.  He  has  hitherto 
invariably  found  himself  respected,  loved,  and  obeyed  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  ceremony  by  his  affectionate  and  dutiful  spouses. 
He  now  boasts  of  his  method  as  infallible,  asserts  that  his  theory 
is  now  confirmed  and  established  by  experiment,  and  that  this  is 
the  true  and  only  way  to  niLanagc  a  family.  The  Moolah,  like 
many  other  men,  is  the  devoted  bigot  of  his  own  system,  and 
blind  to  its  imperfections  as  a  general  practice,  or  he  must  feel 
conscious,  as  any  impartial  observer  does,  that  it  never  could  be 
applied  with  any  advantage  in  a  large  marriage  establishment. 
Taking  his  own  word  for  it,  I  make  no  doubt  that  he  has  found 
it  perfectly  successful  in  his  own ;  but  the  Moolah  should  recol- 
lect, that  the  discipline  adequate  to  maintain  order  and  regularity 
in  the  house  of  a  parish  priest,  whose  whole  inside  (as  we  cor- 
rectly translate  Haram  Khonar)  contains  but  four  wives  and 
nine  concubines,  would  prove  totally  insufficient  for  the  extended 
interior  of  a  Khan,  or  Bey  li  Beggy.  In  the  first  instance,  any 
man,  endowed  with  ordinary  strength  and  facility  of  wrist,  can 
sufficiently  illustrate  the  necessity  of  passive  obedience  to  thir- 
teen wives  in  one  quarter  of  an  hour,  allowing  one  minute  to  each, 
and  two  for  changing  places.  But — but  to  proceed  from  the  foun- 
tain head,  let  us  turn  our  eyes  for  an  instant  on  the  Brother  of 
the  Sun,  our  most  merciful  King,  first  Cousin  to  the  Moon,  Light 
of  the  World,  and  Glory  of  the  Universe,  and  conceive  his  hav- 
ing to  whip  eight  hundred  wives  daily.  The  thing  is  in  itself 
impossible.  His  majesty  might  neglect  the  most  important  of 
the  state  affairs,  might  abstain  from  all  amusement  and  recrea- 
tion, not  even  witness  the  bastinadoing  of  a  Kahn,  or  the  bow- 
stringing  of  a  single  Mirza,  exhausting  his  precious  and  celestiil 
powers  in  useless  efi'orts,  and  not  accomplish  the  work  to  his  own 


THE   KING   OF   PERSIA'S   FEMALE   GUARDS.        383 


satisfaction  in  the  course  of  one  sun.  The  very  few  eunuchs  at- 
tached  to  the  court,  and  their  inability  to  afford  any  assistance 
(except  by  good  wishes,)  would  always  leave  the  whole  burthen 
on  his  own  illustrious  shoulders,  and  convert  his  Sublime  Majesty 
into  a  mere  currier  of  raw  hides. 

This  weighty  enterprise  has  been  regulated  and  conducted  in 
a  much  more  dignified  and  certain  manner  by  his  majesty's  glo- 
rious progenitors,  predecessors  I  would  say,  the  crown  here  not 
being  exactly  hereditary  in  descent;  indeed,  our  present  gracious 
sovereign  is  the  first  of  his  race  who  has  reigned  by  succession. 
His  worthy  uncle,  whose  title  he  justly  inherits,  dethroned  his 
master,  the  then  reigning  tyrant  (all  dethroned  kings  are  fools 
or  tyrants.)  They  have  ever  wielded  the  sceptre  with  paternal 
solicitude,  chastising  their  refractory  subjects  as  a  tender  parent 
corrects  his  disobedient  child  with  the  rod.  Within  the  harem 
is  established  a  regular  court,  in  exact  imitation  of  the  exterior 
one,  with  officers  of  state,  guards,  attendants,  &c., — she-duplicates 
of  all,  excepting  priests.  As  it  always  has  been  a  very  disputed 
point,  whether  women  have  souls  or  not,  it  is  deemed  more  pru- 
dent to  leave  that  question  undetermined.  The  establishment 
of  a  female  priesthood  must  be  expensive,  and  without  any  cer- 
tain benefit,  would  tend  to  confirm  them  in  their  ambitious  be- 
lief, that  in  the  eyes  of  Providence  they  are  equal  to  men ;  yet 
such  is  the  affectionate  lenity  of  these  patriarchal  rulers,  that 
each  woman  asserting  herself  possessed  of  a  soul  is  permitted  the 
entire  keeping  and  exercise  of  it  for  her  own  private  advantage. 
To  these  lady-ministers  and  generals,  is  entrusted  the  entire  ad- 
ministration of  all  the  interior  affairs,  the  strictest  precautions 
being  observed  to  exclude  all  communication  with  the  exterior. 
When  his  majesty  intends  to  dispel  the  clouds  of  the  harem  by  the 
joy  of  his  presence,  he  is  conducted  by  his  male  guards  to  the 
entrance  of  a  certain  crooked  narrow  passage,  where  they  are 
drawn  up  to  present  their  parting  homage.  When  the  darkness 
of  night  falls  upon  the  eyes  of  the  exteriors,  by  the  setting  of  the 
sun  into  the  afore-mentioned  crooked  passage,  he  dawns  forth  re- 
splendent from  the  little  door  at  the  other  end,  to  enliven  with 


384       THE   KING   OF   PERSIA'S   FEMALE   GUARDS. 


the  radiance  of  his  countenance  the  day  of  the  interior.  He  is 
there  received  by  his  attendant  female  goulams  and  ferashes,  (or 
cut-throats)  who  conduct  him  through  the  assembled  ministers  to 
the  nummud  or  carpet  state,  where  he  seats  himself  to  admin- 
ister (first  calling  for  his  calcoon  or  pipe)  impartial  and  severe 
justice  to  his  faithful  female  subjects. 

One  of  these  trials  or  courts-martial  (for  the  offender,  it  seems, 
was  a  military  lady)  has  lately  come  to  my  own  knowledge;  how, 
I  need  not  explain.  I  was  always  inquisitive,  and  liked  to  have 
a  friend  at  court.  As  the  proceedings  are  rather  singular,  and 
in  some  measure  illustrate  the  interior  economy  of  the  royal 
household,  they  may  not  altogether  be  unacceptable  to  a  Euro- 
pean reader.  I  shall  therefore  transcribe  them,  deferring  to  an-- 
other  occasion  my  further  animadversions  and  objections 'to  the 
Moolah  Alaverdi's  plan,   as  entirely  inapplicable  to  large  insides. 

I  shall  omit  the  Persian  titles  of  Serang,  Sultaun,  &c.,  and 
adopt,  as  near  as  may  be,  the  corresponding  terms  in  English, 
as  more  intelligible. 

The  court  being  solemnly  assembled,  seated,  and  served  with 
pipes  and  coffee,  the  charges  were  brought  forward  and  read  aloud 
by  the  secretary,  Minnikin,  with  all  the  emphasis  of  nasal  mono- 
tony of  which  the  language  is  so  peculiarly  susceptible. 

The  indictment,  or  accusation,  is  against  Ensign  Chubby,  of  the 
sweetmeat  battalion,  and  is  divided  into  three  separate  charges 
of  misdemeanour. 

First,  for  most  improper,  indecent,  disorderly  behaviour  in  the 
public  bazaar ;  having  walked  across  the  same  without  a  veil, 
contrary  to  all  military  discipline,  and  the  strict  decorum  of  de- 
portment absolutely  imposed  on  all  officers  of  the  rank  of  Ensign 
Chubby. 

Secondly,  for  unofficer  and  unlady-like  conduct,  totally  sub- 
versive of  all  military  discipline,  in  wantonly  and  cruelly  wound- 
ing Corporal  Dimple;  and  in  using  indelicate  langaage  to  Major 
Kosebud,  of  the  laundry  department;  an  officer  of  irreproachable 
reputation,  undeniable  virtue,  and  mother  of  a  large  family  by 
a  lawful  husband,  from  whose  violent  temper  and  cruel  stick  the 


THE   KING  OF   PERSIA'S   FEMALE   GUARDS.       385 


Major  had  every  thing  to  fear,  had  this  slanderous  imputation 
reached  his  cars. 

Upon  the  first  chai'gc,  it  was  clearly  proved,  by  the  testimo- 
nies of  Captain  Sloe-eye  and  Beauty,  confirmed  by  Serjeant  Lan- 
guish, that  on  Thursday  the  6th  of  last  moon,  at  or  about  the 
first  hour,  after  calling  mid-day  prayers.  Ensign  Chubby  walked 
twice  across  the  jewellers'  bazaar,  with  a  veil  immodestly  arranged 
and  only  partially  covering  the  face  with  one  corner  of  it ;  two- 
thirds  of  the  nose,  at  least,  and  one  eye  of  the  said  ensign,  being 
absolutely  exposed  to  the  public  gaze.  Moreover,  that  on  turn- 
ing the  corner,  just  by  the  shawl-mender's  stall,  leading  to  Has- 
san Ali  Mirza's,  the  said  ensign  stopped,  and  familiarly  conversed, 
full  five  minutes,  with  a  he-serjeant  of  the  Shegaughies,  then 
quarteled  in  town,  or  passing  through.  The  facts  being  clearly 
proved,  the  guilt  of  the  ensign  was  fully  established. 

Upon  the  second  charge,  the  following  facts  were  advanced, 
and  most  distinctly  proved  by  a  number  of  reputable  witnesses. 
The  respectable  Major,  whose  superior  knowledge  and  skill  in  all 
kinds  of  needle  work  is  undisputed  and  admired  by  the  whole  corps, 
was  kindly  giving  some  instructions  how  to  cut  out  six  chemises 
to  the  greatest  advantage  from  a  piece  of  Indian  muslin,  to  Cor- 
poral Dimple,  who  had  undertaken  to  make  and  embroider  them 
down  the  front,  with  the  new  Ispahaun  pattern,  for  the  lady  Fa- 
tima.  Ensign  Chubby  entered  the  chamber,  and  commenced 
conversation  so  as  to  bring  a  blush  into  the  cheeks  of  every  young 
soldier  present.  The  Ensign  continued  in  the  same  strain  fur  a 
considerable  period ;  at  the  same  time  throwing  on  one  side  the 
scissors;  wilfully  burning  a  thread-paper  of  green  silk;  at  last, 
heating  the  major's  best  chased  silver  thimble  in  the  mangal, 
and  privately  and  maliciously  replacing  it  at  the  moment  that  the 
honest  corporal  looked  out  a  superfine  needle  to  back-stitch  the 
left-hand  gusset  of  the  second  chemise.  A  horrid  wound  was 
inflicted  upon  the  sewing  finger  of  the  unfortunate  corporal ;  the 
celebrated  Bandinjon  cataplasm  was  speedily  provided,  and  ap- 
plied by  the  active  exertions  of  the  party ;  but  unfortunately 
without  that  happy  success  which  so  frequently  attends  the  ope- 

33 


386        THE    KING   OF   PERSIA'S   FEMALE   GUARDS. 


ration  of  this  far-famed  remedy.  The  suifering  object  of  this 
diabolical  joke  remains  yet  incapable  of  duty,  civil  or  military ; 
and,  in  consequence,  the  lady  Fatima  is  deprived  of  the  advan- 
tages of  clean  linen.  No  ;-";iperior  officer  could  witness  such  out- 
rageous conduct  without  giving  a  reprimand  to  the  offender, 
which,  although  couched  in  perfectly  genteel  and  lady-like  lan- 
guage, provoked  a  most  flippant  reply.  Finally,  that  the  slander- 
ous tongue  of  the  aforesaid  Ensign  dared,  in  the  presence  of  nu- 
merous witnesses,  to  contaminate  the  pure  name  of  the  virtuous 
Major  with  an  odious  appellation. 

Accordingly  the  court  found  the  prisoner  guilty  on  all  and 
each  of  the  accusations ;  and,  without  hesitation,  unanimously 
declared  their  verdict ;  Ensign  Chubby,  of  the  sweetmeat  batta- 
lion, be  degraded  to  the  rank  of  a  common  soldier,  and  ren'dered 
incapable  of  ever  again  bearing  a  commission. 


A   PERSIAN    GENTLEMAN. 


roLisn  JEWS. 


THE  POLISH  JEW. 


During  tlie  war  of  1813,  wlieu  Bonaparte  made  that  despe- 
rate attack  upon  his  faithless  ally  of  Russia,  the  Saxon  General, 
S — ,  had  gathered  his  troops  in  a  deep  and  wooded  defile,  and 
over  the  bivouac  fire  conversed  with  the  guide  who  had  offered  to 
lead  his  troops  to  the  surprise  of  a  Russian  outpo.st. 

The  day  which  was  drawing  to  its  clo.se,  had  been  gloomy  and 
lowering,  yet  was  treacherously  warm  for  the  season,  and  little 
indicated  the  approaching  snow-storm  which  was  to  overwhelm 
the  conqueror,  and  check  his  hitherto  irresistible  course. 

The  form  of  General  S — ,  as  revealed  by  the  lurid  euibors, 
broad  and  muscular,  bi'aced  in  the  tightened  uniform  of  his 
nation,  and  decorated  with  innumerable  crosses  and  orders,  con- 
trasted forcibly  with   the  appcaranee  of  his  companion,  a  Pi^lish 

(387) 


388  THE   POLISH   JEW. 


Jew,  slight  of  figure,  and  enveloped  in  the  loose  black  gaberdine 
of  his  race;  his  cheeks  wan,  sunken,  and  sallow,  and  against 
each  hung  a  spiral  curl  of  sandy  hair,  depending  from  an  upright 
cap  of  black  felt ;  his  eyes,  keen  and  grey,  were  restless  and  in- 
quisitive, not  unlike  those  of  a  famished  cat  who  expects  injury, 
and  is  watchful  to  avert  or  avenge.  He  bent  instinctively,  as  the 
harsh  tones  of  General  S — 's  voice  smote  upon  his  ear;  and  his 
glances  fell  before  the  penetrating  regard  of  the  military  com- 
mander. 

This  latter  was,  indeed,  a  man  to  be  approached  with  awe  by 
eveiy  one  who  knew  the  sternness  of  his  character.  Brave  to 
desperation,  vigilant  and  inflexible  in  discipline,  the  slightest 
breach  of  military  duty  was  punished  with  implacable  rigour. 
His  men  and  officers  respected  but  loved  not  their  commander ; 
yet  no  one  dared  provoke  his  anger,  for  so  sure  and  fatal  was  his 
aim,  that  every  duel  he  fought  cost  the  life  of  his  antagonist. 

*'Jew!"  said  the  General,  in  his  severest  tone,  "you  have 
promised  to  conduct  my  troop  by  a  secret  path  to  the  surprisal 
of  the  enemy.  If  you  bring  us  in  safety  through  this  labyrinth, 
name  your  own  reward ;  gold  or  lands  shall  be  yours  for  requital 
of  the  service.  But  tremble,  Hebrew,  if  you  mean  us  falsely ; 
for  by  the  bones  of  my  ancestors,  and  the  honour  of  my  sainted 
mother,  the  slightest  suspicion  of  treachery  on  your  part,  en- 
sures your  certain  death  ;  aye  death  with  all  its  horrors;  long, 
linseriufc,  fierce  and  cruel." 

The  guide  made  a  low  and  shrinking  obedience,  but  without 
speaking,  as  though  fear  denied  him  the  power  of  utterance. 

"  Dog  \"  exclaimed  the  wrathful  General,  "  dost  hesitate  ? — 
dost  tamper  with  my  patience  ?  By  heavens  !  if  you  swear  not 
promptly  to  execute  your  mission  discreetly  and  faithfully,  life 
is  not  yours  an  instant !" 

The  Jew  looked  up,  aghast.  His  ashen  complexion  seemed 
intermingled  with  a  leaden  hue,  as  if  convulsed  by  some  iuternal 
agony  of  remorse  or  fear;  but  habitual  command  of  his  passions 
soon  wrought  its  effect ;  emotion  passed  away,  and  his  features 
resumed   their  wonted   expression  of  anxious   endurance.     *'  By 


THE   POLISH  JEW.  389 


the  beard  of  Aaron  !"  was  at  length  his  answer,  "  I  have  sworn 
to  bring  you  where  your  enemies  are  encamped ;  wherefore  are 
you  wroth  with  your  servant,  who  means  most  righteously  to 
keep  his  oath." 

The  General  r(^'arded  him  with  a  withering  look :  "  No  one 
trusts  a  spy,  even  when  employing  him."  He  whispered,  his  aid- 
de-camp,  "  Sternberg,  keep  your  eye  on  that  fellow  ',  I  like  not 
liis  looks  If  you  but  suspect  him  of  betraying  us,  on  the  instant 
bring  him  before  me."  The  subaltern  touched  his  hat  in  sign  of 
obedience,  and  orders  were  soon  after  given  for  the  troop  to  be  in 
motion. 

Their  march  was  conducted  with  all  possible  silence  and  pre- 
caution, and  for  upwards  of  v.u  hour  proceeded  in  sefcurity  and 
hope.  •  By  degrees  the  way  became  more  intricate,  and  entangled 
with  low  underwood,  or  up-hill  and  mirj',  breaking  their  ranks 
and  scattering  the  men  in  confusion,  whilst  at  intervals  they  had 
to  wade  through  patches  of  splashy  ground,  into  which  foot  and 
horse  sunk  knee-deep,  and  with  difficulty  toiled  through,  only 
again  to  plunge  deeper  into  some  marsh. 

Still  these  difficulties  might  be  only  on  account  of  the  un- 
trodden path  it  was  necessary  to  pursue,  and  might  forebode  no 
sinister  intentions  on  the  part  of  their  guide.  On,  therefore, 
they  were  commanded  to  struggle  their  weary  way,  encountering 
fresh  obstacles  at  every  step.  At  length  horses  plunged  in 
swamps  and  fell  exhausted;  men  groaned  and  died.  By  the 
most  strenuous  effi)rts.  General  S — ,  his  staff,  and  the  remainder 
of  the  troop  attained  an  eminence,  overlooking  a  wild  and  desert 
plain.  It  was  but  the  work  of  an  instant,  to  despatch  scouts  to 
reconnoitre,  and  seize  and  bring  before  the  General  the  Polish 
Jew  guide.  Suspicion  was  indeed  strong  against  this  latter, 
not  only  for  bringing  them  through  this  morass,  evidently  with  a 
view  to  dishearten  and  discomfort  the  soldiers ;  but  twice  durin" 
the  confusion  had  he  endeavoured  to  escape ;  and  now,  whether 
overcome  by  fright  or  guilt,  would  do  nothing  but  prostrate  him- 
<5elf  on  the  ground,  and  exclaim,  "  Mercy,  mercy  \"  Vain  were 
assurances  of  safety,  useless  all   interrogatories  as  to  his  knowl- 

38* 


390  THE  POLISH  jew. 


edge  of  the  road,  or  the  proximity  of  the  Eussians ,  the  same 
shrill  prayer  for  mercy,  the  same  frantic  cry  of  despair  alone 
uprose  upon  the  stillness  of  the  night. 

During  this  paroxysm,  the  scouts  returned,  bringing  with 
them  a  peasant,  who,  by  dint  of  threats  and  bribes,  informed 
them  that  the  Russians,  who  were  at  least  double  their  number, 
were  encamped  within  a  mile  of  the  place,  and  expecting  the  ar- 
rival of  the  Saxon  detachment;  that  the  road  they  had  traversed 
conducted  them  through  a  slough  to  the  enemy's  camp,  where, 
if  any  survived,  they  could  be  easily  dispatched  before  they  had 
obtained  a  firm  footing,  being  previously  worn  out  with  the  fa- 
tigues they  must  undergo  on  their  march. 

"  By  which  road  can  we  escape  the  snare  into  which  we  have 
been  led  ?"  demanded  the  General  of  the  peasant. 

'< Easily  enough;"  was  his  reply.  "You  have  only  to  de- 
scend on  your  right,  and  keep  the  beaten  path,  and  you  turn 
your  backs  on  the  Russian  forces." 

''  You  shall  go  with  us,  friend,  as  a  surety  for  the  truth  of 
your  direction ;"  replied  the  General,  "  and  I  pray  you,"  he 
added  significantly,  <'to  remark  how  we  punish  a  false  guide." 

He  bent  his  mouth  to  Sternberg's  ear,  and  glancing  con- 
temptuously at  the  still  crouching  Jew,  whispered  his  commands 
in  a  few  emphatic  words.  The  aid-de-camp  started ;  but  with 
true  military  subordination,  ventured  not  upon  expostulation 
with  his  superior.  Touching  his  hat,  he  selected  a  dozen  of  the 
pioneers,  and  with  them  descended  the  hill  in  the  direction  indi- 
cated by  the  peasant. 

In  a  few  seconds  the  sound  of  twelve  spades  might  be  heard 
trenching  the  moist  earth,  surely  and  deeply.  The  sound  smote 
upon  the  stillness  of  the  night,  impressing  silence  and  awe,  and 
conveying  something  of  terrible  import  to  every  listener ;  each 
one  looked  at  his  comrade,  as  if  he  would  demand  whose  grave 
was  digging,  who  was  to  be  buried  in  that  lune,  wild  spot  ? 

The  harsh  tones  of  the  General  broke  upon  this  unnatural 
quiet :  ''  Seize  and  bind  yon  howling  spy,  and  cast  him  into  the 


THE   POLISH   JEW. 


391 


trench  which  is  digging  below ;  then  form  into  ranks,  and  every 
man  march  over  the  traitor  Jew's  grave." 

For  a  brief  instant  there  was  a  pause  of  horror ;  but  ere  the 
General  could  look  his  displeasure,  the  fierce  behest  was  fulfilled. 
Yell  after  yell  burst  from  the  struggling  wretch  as  he  was  hurried 
down,  which  was  shortly  exchanged  for  stifled  and  smothered 
cries,  as  the  earth  was  heaped  over  the  hapless  victim  of  his  own 
duplicity  and  the  General's  savage  revenge. 

Anon  the  silence  was  only  broken  by  deep,  low  groans,  and  at 
intervals  the  short  sharp  word  of  command  to  march.  The 
heavy  measured  tramp  of  a  thousand  men  soon  pressed  down 
and  obliterated  the  mound  of  earth  which  marked  this  deed  of 
horror,  and  as  the  General  urged  his  recoiling  steed  over  the  spot, 
he  exclaimed,  "  So  perish  all  spies  and  traitors  I"  forgetting 
that  he  himself  had  bribed  the  Jew  to  an  act  of  treachery. 

However  lightly  the  military  commander  might  consider  this 
punishment,  it  is  said  that  from  that  period  he  never  slept  more ; 
and  that  in  the  lonely  watches  of  the  night,  the  pale  visage  of 
the  Polish  Jew,  distorted  with  agony,  was  his  constant  and  hor- 
rible companion. 


THE  FOREST  HIDE  OF  A  WEST  INDIA  PLANTER. 

As  we  progressed  at  Mazeppa  speed,  the  ctaracter  of  tlie  eve- 
ning became  more  alarming,  or — (and  we  shall  best  describe  it 
by  the  term) — awful.  The  tallest  and  toughest  trees  bent  like 
canes  beneath  the  storm,  and  the  lighter  ones  were  uprooted  alto- 
gether. On  came  the  thunder  closer  and  closer  still,  until  it 
burst  directly  overhead  in  one  tremendous  roar,  which  might 
have  been  supposed  to  herald  the  dissolution  of  a  world.  On 
the  animal  creation  the  effect  was  terrific.  Birds,  apparently 
bewildered,  flew  here  and  there,  uttering  discordant  screams ; 
beasts,  small  and  large,  wild  and  domesticated,  ran  madly 
through  the  forest;  innumerable  monkeys  mowed  and  chattered 
from  the  crashing  branches  upon  which  they  had  perched  them- 
selves ;  the  owls  hooted,  the  vampire-bats  shrieked  hideously, 
the  serpents'  hissings  could  be  heard  distinctly,  and  bowlings 
and  bellowings,  and  noises  indescribably  demoniac,  left  it  doubt- 
ful whether  the  denizens  of  the  lower  world  had  not  been  indulged 
on  this  dreadful  night  with  an  infernal  saturnalia,  and  had 
selected  this  forest  for  the  nonce. 

In  the  interval  between  the  livid  flashes  that  lighted  up  the 
dense  woods  the  darkness  became  deeper  and  more  impenetrable. 
Poor  Jumbo  appeared  to  have  heard  of  the  demoniac  attempt 
made  upon  the  tail  of  Tam  O'Shanter's  mare,  and  in  fear  and 
terror  that  an  onslaught  would  be  made  upon  himself,  and  his 
own  rear  might  thus  undergo  a  fiendish  visitation,  he  took  to 
strong  running  as  a  last  security,  and  heedless  of  the  murky 
darkness,  which  by  contrast  seemed  deeper  and  deeper  after  every 
lightning  flash,  plunged  forward  as  if  he  felt  the  foul  fiend  al- 
ready pulling  at  his  tail.  With  difficulty  I  kept  my  seat — and 
indeed  a  Rothscommon  steeple  chase-rider  could  do  no  more. 
(392) 


FOREST   RIDE   OF.  A   WEST   INDIA   PLANTER        393 


Jumbo  was  hard-mouthed  in  his  unexcited  moments,  but  to  get 
a  pull  at  him  as  matters  stood  at  present,  would  have  been  about 
as  practicable  as  to  uproot  a  milestone  with  a  pocket  handkerchief 
At  last  we  cleared  the  wood,  and  falsified  the  proverb,  for  we 
were  not  yet  authorized  to  halloo.  Trees,  on  a  runaway  horse, 
are  a  tarnation  nuisance  in  the  dark,  but  a  couple  of  swollen 
rivers  are  also  ugly  experiments — and  in  my  mind  it  is  a  toss-up 
between  wood  and  water  after  all. 

Like  the  final  crash  of  the  overture  to  a  fashionable  melo- 
drama, the  elements  had  husbanded  their  strength  for  a  last 
grand  efi'ort.  The  wind  blew,  not  caring  for  bursting  cheeks; 
the  thunder  retained  its  concentrated  force  for  a  wind-up  in  a 
parting  volley,  while  half-a-dozen  clouds,  which  had  prudently 
retained  their  aqueous  treasures,  showered  them  simultaneously 
on  the  earth  beneath.  I  never  emulated  or  enacted  a  young 
gentleman  called  Lochinvar,  who 

"Swam  the  Esk  river  where  ford  there  was  nonej" 

I  never  attempted  the  passage  of  the  Dardanelles,  like  Lord 
Byron ;  but  if  crossing  a  couple  of  South  American  rivers  in  high 
flood,  with  the  grand  accompaniment  of  an  elemental  uproar, — if 
these  should  entitle  me  to  first  honours  in  horsemanship  and  na- 
tation, I  hold  myself  equal  to  either  Leander  or  Lochinvar,  and 
but  for  personal  difiidence  (a  fault  of  mine)  as  good  touching 
performances  as  the  twain  united. 

I  reached  my  destination  (the  plantation,)  and  the  kindness 
of  the  overseer  was  only  equalled  by  his  astonishment.  He  first 
inquired  touching  my  sanity;  presumed  that  my  life  was  insured; 
ordered  a  rum-bath,  dry  clothing,  a  hot  supper,  and  punch  that 
would  have  scattered  Father  Mathew's  self-denial  to  smithereens; 
and  then  I  had  such  a  sleep  afterwards  !  that  was  indeed,  a  wind 
up  to  a  night,  which  even 

"A  child  might  understand 
The  de'il  had  business  on  his  hand." 

A  West  Indian  planter  is  always  a  man  of  feeling — and  next 


394      FOREST   EIDE   OF   A   WEST   INDIA   PLANTER. 


morning  (the  storm  having  totally  abated)  Mr. ,  my  em. 

ployer,  sent  two  or  three  negroes  to  recover  my  corpse,  were  that 
possible,  and  have  my  remains  decently  interred.  Dear  good 
man  !  he  generously  presented  me  with  a  couple  of  dollars  on  my 
return,  and  hinted,  that  in  half  a  dozen  years  perhaps  he  would 
add  some  ten  pounds  to  my  salary,  if  the  demand  for  sugar  be- 
came brisker.  That  promise  was  not  realized — for  in  six  weeks 
he  was  food  for  land-crabs.  He  died  intestate — and  being 
Scotch,  the  claimants  to  represent  him  were  a  legion  in  number, 
and  extended  even  to  the  third  and  fourth  generation.  Law  pro- 
ceedings in  property  cases  are  conducted  with  caution — and  Mr. 
Sergeant  Roundabout  has  given  a  decided  and  satisfactory 
opinion,  that  the  Theluston  estates,  and  the  assets  of  Mr.  Mungo 
Mactavish,  will  receive  their  final  adjudication  (the  year,  not 
specified)  very  probably  upon  the  same  day. 


A   NATIVE   AUSTRALIAN. 


P.  396. 


AN  EXPLORING  ADVENTURE  IN  AUSTRALIA. 

The  Litany  of  a  Bushmaa  on  the  Borders  might  well  run, 
"  From  native  dogs,  from  scabby  sheep,  from  blacks,  from 
droughts,  from  governors'  proclamations,  good  Lord,  deliver  us." 

The  droughts  come  in  their  appointed  season,  and  the  day  will 
be,  when  wells,  and  tanks  and  aqueducts  will  redeem  many  a  part 
from  the  curse  of  periodical  barrenness ;  the  blacks  soon  tame 
or  fade  before  the  white  man's  face ;  unfortunately  .the  seat  of 
tlie  native  dogs,  and  home-bred  or  town-bred  governing  crotchets 
are  more  plentiful  in  long-settled  than  new-found  countries.  At 
any  rate  I  have  experienced  them  all,  and  now  give  the  following 
passage  of  my  life  for  the  benefit  of  the  gentlemen  "  who  live 
at  home  at  ease,"  hatching  theories  for  our  good — Heaven  help 
their  silliness  ! 

I  had  been  two  years  comfortably  settled  with  a  nice  lot  of 
cattle  and  sheep,  part  my  own,  part  on  "thirds,"  when  the  peo- 
ple south  of  me  began  to  complain  of  drought.  I  had  enough 
feed  and  water;  the  question  was,  whether  it  would  last. 

I  called  my  bullock-dvivcr,  Bald-faced  Dick,  into  consultation. 
He  was  laid  up  at  the  time  with  a  broken  leg.  Dick  strongly 
advised  looking  for  a  new  station  "  to  the  nor'ard." 

The  slieep  would  do  for  months,  but  he  thought  we  were  over- 
stocied  with  cattle.  I  had  a  good  deal  of  confidence  in  Dick's 
judgment;  for  he  was  a  "first  fleeter,"  that  is,  came  over  with 
Governor  Phillips  in  the  first  fleet;  had  seen  every  thing  in  the 
colony,  both  good  and  bad ;  had,  it  was  whispered,  in  early 
years  fled  from  a  flogging-master,  and  lived,  some  said,  with  the 
blacks ;  others  averred  with  a  party  of  Gully -rakers,  (cattle- 
stealers)  ;  he  swore  horridly,  was  dangerous  when  he  had  drank 
too  much  rum,  but  was  a  thorough  Bushman  J  by  the  s^tars,  or 

(395) 


396  AN   EXPLORING   ADVENTURE. 


by  sun,  and  the  fall  of  the  land,  could  find  his  way  any  where  by 
day  or  night,  understood  all  kinds  of  stock,  and  could  make  bul- 
locks understand  him.  He  knew  every  roving  character  in  the 
colony,  the  quality  of  every  station,  and  more  about  the  far  inte- 
rior than  he  chose  to  tell  to  every  one.  With  all  his  coarseness,  he 
was  generous  and  good-natured,  and  when  well  paid,  and  fairly 
and  strictly  treated,  stood  upon  "  Bush  honour,"  and  could  be 
thoroughly  depended  on. 

Having  had  an  opportunity  of  serving  him  in  a  rather  serious 
matter  previous  to  his  entering  my  service,  I  was  pretty  sure  of 
his  best  advice. 

The  end  of  it  was,  for  a  promise  of  five  pounds  he  obtained 
from  a  friend  of  his  a  description  of  a  country  hitherto  unsettled, 
and  first-rate  for  cattle.  These  men,  who  can  neither  read  nor 
write,  have  often  a  talent  for  description,  whic'h  is  asionishing. 

Having  heard  a  minute  detail  of  the  *'  pack/'  and  studied  a 
sort  of  map  drawn  on  the  lid  of  a  tea-chest  with  a  burned  stick, 
I  decided  on  exploring  with  my  overseer,  Jem  Garden,  and,  if 
successful,  returning  for  the  cattle  and  drags,  all  loaded  for 
founding  a  station. 

We  only  took  our  guns  and  tomahawks,  with  tea,  sugar,  a  salt 
tongue,  and  small  damper  ready  baked,  being  determined  to 
make  long  marches,  starting  early,  camping  at  mid-day,  and 
marching  again  in  the  evening  as  long  as  it  was  light. 

Our  first  stage  was  only  twenty-five  miles  to  young  Mar- 
son's  cattle-station.  Marson  was  a  cadet,  of  a  noble  family,  and 
having  been  too  fast  at  home  and  in  India  as  a  cavalry  Kubaltern, 
had  been  sent  out  with  a  fair  capital  to  Australia,  under  the  idea 
that  a  fortune  was  to  be  had  for  asking,  and  no  means  of  ex~ 
pense  open  in  the  Bush.  What  money  he  did  not  leave  in  the 
bars  and  billiard-rooms  of  Sidney,  he  invested  in  a  herd  of  six 
hundred  cattle ;  to  look  after  these,  he  had  four  men,  whom  he 
engaged,  one  because  he  could  fight,  another  because  he  could 
sing,  and  all  because  they  flattered  him.  With  these  fellows  he 
lived  upon  terms  of  perfect  equality,  with  a  keg  of  rum  contin- 


AN   EXPLORING   ADVENTURE,  397 


ually  on  the  tap.     Then,  for  want  of  better  society,  he  made  his 
hut  tlic  rendezvous  of  a  tribe  of  tame  blacks. 

"Wc  found  him  sitting  on  the  floor  in  a  pair  of  trowsers  and 
ragged  shirt,  unwashed,  uncombed,  pale-faced  and  red-eyed,  sur- 
rounded by  a  half-a-dozen  blacWgins  (his  sultanas),  a  lot  of 
dogs,  poultry,  a  tame  kangaroo,  and  two  of  his  men.  The  floor 
was  littered  with  quart  pots,  lumps  of  fat,  and  damper  outside 
the  hut ;  the  relations  of  the  black  ladies  had  made  a  fire,  and 
were  cooking  a  piece  of  a  fine  young  heifer.  What  with  the  jab- 
bering of  the  gins,  the  singing  and  swearing  of  the  men,  and  the 
yelping  of  the  dogs,  it  was  no  place  for  a  quiet  meal,  so  we  only 
stayed  long  enough  to  drink  a  pot  of  tea,  so  as  not  to  ofiend,  and 
passed  on  to  camp  an  hour  under  the  shade  of  a  thicket  near  the 
river. 

?Iarson  having,  witli  the  assistance  of  his  black  friend.s,  con- 
sumed all  his  stock,  has  returned  home  :  and,  I  hear,  asserts 
every  where  that  Australia  is  not  a  country  a  gentleman  can  live  in. 

Our  course  next,  after  crossing  the  dividing  range,  lay  over  a 
very  flat  country,  all  burned  up  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach, 
— a  perfect  desei't  of  sand.  The  chain  of  pools  which  formed 
the  river  after  rain,  were  nearly  choked  up  by  the  putrifying  car- 
casses of  cattle,  smothered  in  fighting  for  water.  The  air  was 
poisonous;  the  horses  sank  fetlock  deep  at  every  stride;  the 
blazins:  sun  was  reflected  back  from  the  hot  sand  with  an  intcn- 
sity  that  almost  blinded  our  half-shut  eyes.  After  three  hours 
of  this  misery,  we  struck  into  a  better  country,  and  soon  after 
came  up  to  the  camp  of  a  squatter,  who  had  been  forced  forward 
by  the  drought.  He.  had  marked  out  about  twenty  miles  aloiig 
the  river  for  his  run — a  pretty  good  slice,  I  thought,  when,  before 
turning  back,  he  said,  "That  is  all  I  want."  It  was  no  business 
of  ours,  as  we  had  views  further  a-field.  For  three  days  we 
pushed  on,  making  from  thirty  to  forty  miles  a  day,  without  see- 
ing any  thing  exactly  to  our  mind.  We  rode  over  arid  plains, 
dotted  with  scrubby  brushwood,  then  up  precipitous  hills ;  now 
leaping,  now  clambering  down  and  up,  and  now  riding  around  to 
avoid  dry  gullies  and  ravines;    passing    occasionally   breaks   of 

34 


398  A^    EXPLORING   ADVENTUEE. 


green  pasture,  but  insufficiently  watered  for  my  purpose.  Some- 
times our  way  lay  along  mountain  sides,  sometimes  in  the  dry 
bed  of  a  torrent.  Sometimes  huge  boulders  interrupted  our 
course,  sometimes  the  gigantic  trunks  of  fallen  trees.  More 
than  once  we  had  to  steer  through  a  forest  of  the  monotonous 
and  shadeless  gum,  with  its  lofty,  dazzlingly  white  trunks  fes- 
tooned with  the  brown,  curly  bark  of  the  previous  year,  and  its 
parasol-like  but  shadeless  branches,  where  crimson,  green,  and 
•  snowy  parrot  tribes  shrieked  and  whistled  among  the  evergreen 
leaves.  It  is  impossible  to  conceive  any  thing  more  gorgeous 
than  these  birds  as  they  fluttered  in  the  sun ;  but  I  confess  that, 
"on  serious  thoughts  intent,"  during  this  journey,  they  were 
more  often  associated  with  my  ideas  of  supper  than  any  thing 
else. 

The  evening  of  the  third  day,  we  found  ourselves  obliged  to 
camp  down  with  a  scanty  supply  of  brackish  water,  and  no  signs 
of  any  living  thing.  The  next  day  was  worse ;  a  land  of  silence 
and  desolation,  where  it  seemed  as  if  mountains  had  been  crum- 
bled up  and  scattered  about  in  hills  and  lumps.  The  dry 
earth  cracked  and  yawned  in  all  directions.  Failing  to  find 
water,  we  camped  down,  parched,  weary,  silent,  but  not  de- 
spairing. 

The  next  morning  the  horses  were  gone. 

I  cannot  find  words  to  describe  what  we  suffered  in  the  subse- 
quent twelve  hours.  I  had  walked  until  my  feet  were  one  mass 
of  blisters,  and  was  ready  to  lie  down  and  die  ten  times  in  the 
day  ;  but  somehow  I  found  strength  to  walk,  always  chewing  a 
bullet.  At  length,  at  nightfall,  we  found  our  horses;  and, 
nearly  at  the  same  time,  to  crown  our  delight — water.  At  tho 
sight  of  this,  we  both  involuntarily  sank  down  on  our  knees  to 
return  thanks  for  life  saved. 

The  next  morning,  after  a  scanty  breakfast,  we  set  to  work, 
and  by  dint  of  cutting  away  with  axe  and  jack-knife,  at  the  ex- 
pense of  clothes  and  skin,  through  a  brigalow  scrub  for  half  a 
mile,  found  our  way  into  a  gap  through  which  our  track  lay. 


::C-^'^V 


^::m^< 


AN   EXPLORING   ADVENTURE.  399 


and   which   we  had  missed.      It  led   straight  to  the  dividing 


range. 


After  crossing  five  miles  from  the  foot  of  the  range,  through 
a  barren  tract,  our  eyes  and  hearts  were  suddenly  rejoiced  by  thi 
sight  of  the  wished-for  land. 

A  plain,  covered  with  fine -green  barley-grass,  as  high  as  our 
horses'  heads,  and  sprinkled  over  with  the  myal  shrub,  which 
cattle  and  sheep  will  cat  and  thrive  on,  even  without  grass.  Such 
was  the  delicious  prospect  before  us.  A  flood  had  evidently  but 
lately  subsided,  for  lagoons  full  of  water  were  scattered  all  about; 
a  river  running  at  the  rate  of  five  miles  an  hour,  serpentined  as 
far  as  the  eye  could  see,  from  which  the  waterfowl  fluttered  up 
as  we  passed ;  the  eagle  hawks  were  sweeping  along  after  the 
flocks  of  quail,  and  mobs  of  kangaroos  hopping  about  like  huge 
rabbits.  There  was  not  a  sign  of  horn  or  hoof  any  where,  but  it 
was  evident  that  the  aborigines  were  numerous,  for  there  were 
paths  worn  down  where  they  had  been  in  the  habit  of  travelling, 
from  one  angle  of  the  river  to  another  ;  we  could  trace  their 
footmarks  and  of  all  sizes,  and  thereupon  we  unslung  our  guns 
and  looked  at  the  priming.  Altogether  I  thought  I  had  disco- 
vered the  finest  place  for  a  cattle-station  in  the  colony ;  I  found 
out  afterwards  that  the  first  appearance  of  a  new  country  before 
it  has  been  stocked  is  not  to  be  depended  on. 

We  formed  a  camp  in  an  angle  of  the  river,  so  as  to  have 
protection  on  three  sides,  ventured,  in  spite  of  the  danger,  to 
light  a  fire  and  cook  some  game.  Oh,  how  delicious  was  that 
meal !  As  I  lay  near  the  river's  edge,  peeping  through  the  tall 
grass,  I  saw  the  horrid  emus,  that  rare  and  soon  to  be  extinct 
bird,  come  down  the  slopes  on  the  opposite  side  to  drink  in  num- 
bers ;  a  sure  sign  that  white  men  were  as  yet  strangers  to  these 
plains. 

We  spent  some  days  in  examination,  and  during  the  explora- 
tion met  with  adventures  with  the  aborigines,  I  will  not  now  re- 
late. Having  marked  a  station  with  my  initial,  and  in  returning 
made  out  a  route  practicable  for  drays,  by  which  I  afterwards 


400  AN   EXPLORING   ADVENTURE. 

• 


mode  my  way  with  a  large  herd  of  cattle,  although  not  without 
enduring  more  than  I  could  tell  in  a  few  lines. 

Our  horses  having  picked  up  their  flesh  in  a  fortnight's  spell 
on  the  green  plains,  we  got  back  at  a  rattling  pace,  but,  before 
arriving  home,  met  with  an  adventure  I  shall  not  soon  forget. 
It  was  at  the  first  station  we  reached  after  crossing  the  "  barrens" 
that  divided  our  newly  discovered  country.  A  hut  had  just 
been  built  for  the  Stockman,  a  big  strong  Irishman,  more  than 
six  feet  high,  a  regular  specimen  of  a  Tipperary  chicken.  He 
had  been  entertaining  us  with  characteristic  hospitality ;  and  we 
were  smoking  our  pipes  round  the  fire,  when  the  hut  keeper 
rushed  in  without  his  hat,  crying : 

"  Tom  !  Tom !  the  blacks  are  coming  down  on  us  all  armed, 
as  hard  as  they  can  run.  Shut  the  door  !  for  Heaven's  sake 
shut  the  door !"  Tom  banged  it  to,  and  put  his  shoulder 
against  it  while  the  keeper  was  pulling  up  the  bar,  and  Garden 
and  I  were  getting  the  lock-cases  ofi"  our  fire-arms.  Unfortu- 
nately the  door  was  made  roughly  of  green  wood,  and  had 
shrunk,  leaving  gaps  between  the  slabs. 

In  the  mean  time  about  thirty  blacks  hurled  a  volley  of  spears 
that  made  the  walls  ring  again  ;  and  then  advancing  boldly  up,  one 
of  them  thrust  a  double-jagged  spear  through  the  door,  slap  into 
Tom's  throat.  My  back  was  turned  towards  him,  being  busy 
putting  a  fresh  cap  on  my  carbine.  T  heard  his  cry,  and,  turning 
saw  him  fall  into  the  arms  of  the  hut-keeper.  I  thrust  the  bar- 
rel of  my  piece  through  a  hole  against  a  black  devil,  and  fired 
at  the  same  moment  that  my  man  did.  The  two  dropped;  the 
rest  retreated,  but  turned  back,  and  caught  up  their  dead  friends. 
Garden  flung  open  the  door  again,  and  gave  them  the  contents  of 
his  other  barrel.  My  black  put  the  hut-keeper's  musket  into  my 
hand  ;  I  gave  them  a  charge  of  buckshot.  Three  more  fell,  and 
the  rest,  dropping  their  friends,  disappeared  across  the  river.  All 
this  was  the  work  of  a  moment.  We  then  turned  our  attention  to 
the  stock-keeper.  The  spear  had  entered  at  the  chin,  and  come 
out  on  the  other  side  three  or  four  inches.  There  was  not  a 
great  flow  of  blood,  but  he  was  evidently  bleeding  inwardly. 


AN   EXPLORING   ADVENTURE. 


401 


He  was  perfectly  collected,  and  said  he  was  quite  sure  he  should 
die. 

We  cut  the  end  of  the  spear  short  oiF,  but  did  not  dare  to 
take  it  out.  The  hut-keeper  got  on  a  horse,  leading  another, 
and  rode  for  a  doctor  who  lived  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  off; 
he  never  stopped  except  to  give  the  horses  a  feed  two  or  three 
times  in  the  whole  distance,  but  when  he  reached  his  journey's 
end,  the  doctor  was  out.  In  the  mean  time  poor  Tom  made  his 
will,  disposing  of  a  few  head  of  cattle,  mare  and  foal,  and  also 
signed  a  sort  of  a  dying  testament  to  the  effect  that  he  had 
never  wronged  any  of  the  blacks  in  any  way.  The  weather  was 
very  hot,  mortification  came  on,  and  he  died  in  agony  two  days 
after  receiving  his  wound. 

The  outrage  was  reported  to  the  Commissioner,  but  no  notice 
was  taken  of  it  although  we  were  paying  a  tax  for  Border 
Police  at  the  time. 

Not  many  years  have  elapsed  since  we  fought  for  our  lives — 
since  I  read  the  burial  service  over  the  poor  murdered  Stock- 
man. A  handsome  verandah'd  villa  now  stands  in  the  place  of 
the  slab  hut;  yellow  corn  waves  over  the  Irishman's  grave,  and 
while  cattle  and  sheep  abound,  as  well  as  white  men,  women, 
and  children  there  is  not  a  wild  black  within  two  hundred 
miles. 


34^ 


CHRISTMAS  IN  SWEDEN. 
In  a  letter  to  a  friend  in  England, 

The  cliaracteristicfi  of  Sweden  and  its  people  are  not  so  gene- 
rally known  as  those  of  more  favoured  regions  of  the  world.  It 
is  common  for  tourists  to  visit  almost  every  part  of  Europe 
except  Scandinavia;  and  those  who  do  go  to  the  Swedish  capital, 
Stockholm,  seldom  extend  their  observations  much  further.  Yet 
the  distinguishing  traits  of  the  Swedes  cannot  be  fully  known 
without  a  visit  to  those  portions  of  the  country  where  foreign  in- 
fluence is  not  exerted.  Among  the  peasantry,  the  manners,  cus- 
toms, and  traditions  of  the  nation  are  distinctively  preserved.  In 
Stockholm,  there  are  many  who  delight  to  keep  up  old  customs, 
especially  those  relating  to  festivals,  but  the  number  diminishes 
as  the  intercourse  of  the  inhabitants  of  other  countries  increases. 
A  noted  literary  lady,  writing  from  Stockholm  to  a  friend  in 
England,  gives  a  very  interesting  account  of  the  celebration 
of  Christmas  in  that  city,  which  we  think  worthy  of  quota- 
tion : — 

"  But  I  must  now  conduct  you  into  my  home,  my  humble  home  ; 
but  still  there  is  to  be  found  there  the  best  which  can  be  found 
under  the  sun,  from  the  juice  of  the  grape,  and  silk,  and  gilding 
— but  all  in  the  right  proportion  to  my  ability,  my  position  in 
life,  and  my  requirings,  which  I  do  not  allow  to  go  swarming  about 
after  pleasure,  but  put  them  early  under  a  queen-bee's  guid- 
ance. 

"'He  is  always  satisfied  with  himself  and  what  belongs  to 
him/  you  may,  perhaps,  dear  brother,  somewhat  caluraniously 
remark.     We  have  a  great  festival  to-day,  you   must  know,  and 

it  may  possibly  so  happen  that  the  smell  of  candles  and 

(402) 


CHRISTMAS   IN   SWEDEN.  405 


now,  also,  there  is  an  abominable  smell  of  sealing-wax!  That  is 
because  my  wife  is  packing  up  and  sealing  Christmas  boxes ! 
The  smell  of  tarts  and  roast  meat,  and  the  rejoicing  of  children, 
get  rather  into  my  head.  It  is  Christmas  eve,  dear  brother,  a 
day  which,  through  the  whole  of  Sweden,  is  celebrated  in  castle 
and  cottage  with  gifts  given  and  received ;  with  the  best  that 
people  have  of  this  world's  wealth.  For  a  month  past  one  has 
seen  that  the  festival  was  coming  by  the  increase  of  life  and  bus- 
tle over  the  whole  country,  as  if  the  whole  country  got  itself 
ready  for  a  feast.  In  the  capital  it  seems  as  if  a  population  of 
80,000  souls  had,  all  at  once,  increased  to  100,000,  and  as  if  the 
bodies  of  all  their  souls  had  no  more  rest  within  the  house. 
People  drive,  people  walk,  or  rather  people  trudge  up  and  down, 
from  morning  till  night.  People  meet,  people  cross,  people  jostle 
one  another  in  the  crowds,  in  streets  and  lanes.  At  the  turning 
on  each  hand  one  hears  the  words,  *  Your  most  humble  servant  1' 
And  in  the  Great  West  street  in  particular,  people  are  in  peril 
of  their  life — if  they  are  poor  foot  passengers,  like  me.  In  the 
shops  the  ladies  elbow  one  another,  under  the  pleasant  pretence 
of  desiring  to  see  this  and  that;  examine,  consider,  turn  over  and 
over,  ask  questions,  chatter,  cheapen,  and  finally  open  their  pock- 
et-books and  put  in  the  bill ;  and  then,  without  any  impropriety, 
go  out  with  their  parcels,  be  thoy  large  or  small,  oblong  or  four- 
cornered,  wrapped  up  with  ingenuity'-  in  waste  paper,  and  tied 
with  pack-thread.  The  ladies,  in  their  elegant  pelisses,  float  to 
their  elegant  carriages,  attended  to  the  door  by  the  gentlemen  of 
the  shops,  who  ask,  with  low  bows,  "  Shall  I  send  them  home  ? 
— shall  I  add  them  to  (he  account?'  A  nod,  or  gracious  'be  so 
kind !'  the  windnw  is  pulled  up,  the  whip  cracks — the  bills  swell 
out!  500  rix-dollars  for  fine  dresses;  1000  for  gold  and  silver 
stuifs ;  2000  for  fine  wines.  Such  purchases  make  they,  the 
powerful  money  potentates,  and  then  drive  home  to  scold  about 
a  few  pence  and  grumble  over  the  dear  times.  *  Two  farthings' 
worth  of  gingerbread  !'  demands  little  Janne,  in  his  ragged  coat, 
and  with  his  nose-end  red  with  the  cold,  standing  before  the  para-^ 
dise  of  the  huckster's   stall,  gets  called  little   friend  by  its  red- 


406  CHRISTMAS   IN   SWEDEN. 


breasted  cherub,  receives  two  brown  hearts,  pays  iiis  money  con 

teutedly,  goes  his  way  as  happy  as  a prince  ?     No,  because 

a  prince  has  too  much  to  be  happy  with  so  little — but  as  a  little, 
poor,  good-hearted  lad,  who  is  as  proud  as  can  be  to  bid  his  little 
sister  to  a  feast. 

"  In  the  great  market-place,  booth  after  booth  is  opened  in  long 
rows,  each  one  filled  with  bread,  books,  stuiis  of  all  kinds,  con- 
fectionaries,  and  with — every  thing  in  the  world.  It  is  the 
Christmas-market.  x\nd  all  the  world — in  Stockholm — goes  to 
the  Christmas-market  to  make  purchases  and  to  look  about.  Be- 
hind all  this  visible  movement  there  is  another  movement  in 
operation  which  is  invisible.  There  are  at  this  time  in  Stock- 
holm, tailors,  seamstresses,  shoemakers,  carriage-builders,  furriers, 
lace-weavers,  glovers,  in  a  word,  makers  and  workers  of  every 
kind,  who  are  not  so  lucky  as  to  deceive  more  than  twenty  times 
in  the  day  with  their  '  it  shall  be  ready  this  evening  !'  '  in  the 
morning !'  '  by  the  end  of  the  week  !'  '  the  very  first  of  all !' 
which  means  the  very  last. 

"Thus  it  goes  on  in  the  month  of  December  in  the  capital,  and 
thus,  no  doubt,  down  to  the  very  least  of  Swedish  towns.  In 
the  country  it  is  fresh  life.  »•  Every  mistress  of  a  house  steeps  the 
fish,  makes  candles,  and  stuffs  puddiugs.  Every  maid-servant  is 
over  head  in  business.  All  heads  and  all  hands  are  busy  for 
Christmas.  All  men  and  all  domestic  animals  will  be  fed  plen- 
tifully ;  even  sparrows  will  sing  of  Christmas  on  their  appointed 
sheaf  of  oats  j  and  human  sparrows — the  beggars, — will  be  abun- 
dantly fed  from  rich  men's  tables.  The  earth  experiences  the 
truth  of  the  Lord's  words,  'it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to 
receive.' 

"At  this  time  there  is  an  end  of  all  candour  and  confidence  in 
the  family.  Husbands  and  wives,  parents,  children,  brothers 
uud  sisters,  relations  and  friends,  all  conceal  themselves  from  one 
another,  all  have  secrets  from  one  another,  all  have  something 
to  hide  or  withdraw  from  each  other's  sight.  And  an  observer 
might  think  that  such  things  testified  but  iudiQ'oruntly  for  the 


CIIIIISTMAS   IN    SWEDEN,  407 


happiness  of  Swedish  homes  if  the  mirror  of  the  soul,  the  eye, 
was  not  in  the  meantime  become  more  loving  and  friendly  than 
ever.  But  with  roguish  gravity,  and  repressed  breath,  the  spirit 
of  secrecy  goes  about  sealing  all  lips  until — all  at  once — as  if  by 
a  magic  stroke — amid  the  darkest  night  of  the  year,  millions  of 
lights  arc  kindled,  and,  like  a  festive  board,  stands  on  the  twen- 
ty-fourth of  December,  the  whole  kingdom  of  Sweden,  from  Lap- 
mark  down  to  Skene,  and  millions  of  voices  exclaim  the  while, 
it  is  Christmas!  it  is  Christmas  ! 

"  The  genius  of  equality  never  reigned  thus  absolutely  in  the 
old  states  of  the  republic,  as  this  evening  throughout  Sweden. 
A  groat-ladle  is  the  sceptre  in  his  hand.  The  odour  of  sweet 
groats  prevails  over  the  whole  kingdom,  and  in  its  atmosphere 
breathe  all,  in  a  brotherly  concord,  high  and  low,  great  and 
small.  Christmas-candles  burn  in  castle  and  cottage.'  Such  is 
Christmas-eve.  But  the  liirht  which  is  thus  kindled  extends 
much  farther;  and,  like  a  circling  wheel, — pleasure  follows 
pleasure  for  a  long  succession  of  days.  There  is  dancing 
in  cities,  in  towns,  in  hamlets.  People  drive,  people  feast, 
people  play,  and  amid  the  sportive  hours  a  more  gladsome 
turn  is  often  given  to  serious  life.  Many  a  grudge;  much  ill- 
will  disappears  amid  the  '  borrowed  fire,'  and  Spirit,  dost  not 
observe  something  ?  Many  a  happy  bond  is  knit  for  life  amid 
blind-man's-buff  and  '  hide-the-ring — hide  the  ring,  show  it  to  no 
one  !'  And  so  people  go  on  till  the  twentieth  day  of  Christmas, 
which  is  also  called  Knot,  and  which  puts  one  upon  the  thread 
of  Christmas  pleasures.  Christmas  ends  then  ;  and  on  this  eve- 
ning, conformably  with  old  Swedish  custom,  Christmas  is  danced 
out. 

"In  the  midst  of  this  garland  of  sports  and  pleasures-occurs  the 
great  festival  of  the  Church,  full  of  solemnity  and  light.  On  this 
occasion  the  churches  are  filled  with  people.  The  true  religion 
of  God  is  the  friend  of  joy  and  animation.  Therefore  we  rejoice 
at  Christmas. 

"  And  now  again  is  this  festival  come,  and  every  where  people 
think  about  giving  pleasure  to  themselves,  and,  what  is  better, 


408  CHRISTMAS   IN    SWEDEN. 


of  giving  pleasure  to  others.  Oh  !  what  delight  I  had  in  child- 
hood for  many  weeks  before  Christmas,  in  thinking  upon  the 
Christmas-boxes  with  which  I  should  surprise  my  parents,  and 
brothers  and  sisters.  I  remember,  in  particular,  a  sketch,  a 
landscape  of  my  own  composition,  with  which  I  designed  to  asto- 
nish and  delight  my  father.  I  awoke  every  morning  with  this 
in  my  mind.  It  was  a  very  ambitious  work.  Every  thing  was 
there ;  the  Alps,  the  Mediterranean  Sea ;  sun-rise ;  a  vessel 
under  sail;  a  Roman  aqueduct  in  ruins;  a  rushing  mountain 
torrent,  beside  which  sat  a  shepherd,  playing  on  his  flute  to  his 
flock,  (a  union  of  the  sublime  and  the  beautiful  !)  two  travelling 
gentlemen,  (the  one  was  to  represent  my  father)  who  from  a  path 
down  the  Alps,  observed  all  this,  and  were  enraptured.  The  joy 
of  the  artist, — the  child's  love;  the  child's,  or  rather  human  na- 
ture's— self-love  united  to  make  my  heart  beat  with  the  thought 
of  the  evening  on  which  this  sublime  composition  should  be  ex- 
hibited to  the  light,  be  admired  by  my  father  and  the  whole 
family,  perhaps  even  by  the  provost  and  burgomaster;  and — who 
knows  ? — perhaps  the  fame  of  it  miglit  go  over  the  whole  city. 
I  did  not  remark  until  the  picture  was  finished,  that  the  Mediter- 
ranean chanced  to  lie  above  the  aqueduct ;  that  the  ship  could 
not  avoid  striking  against  the  sun ;  that  the  Alps  looked  like 
confectionary,  and  my  father  like  a  highwayman.  My  good 
father  had  not  the  heart  to  enlighten  me  on  this  subject,  so  that 
although  my  masterpiece  did  not,  by  any  means,  cause  the  rap- 
ture which  I  expected,  yet  I  remained  for  this  time  unpunished 
for  my  presumption.  But  ah  !  I  fear  that  the  hour  of  retribution 
is  come;  that  my  first-born  son  inherits  my  artistical  talent,  and 
designs  to  prepare  for  me  a  surprise  like  that  which  I,  once  upou 
a  time,  prepared  for  my  fiither.  I  have  seen  something  horribly 
shining  forth  from  his  drawing-board,  and  which,  as  I  came 
nearer,  was  concealed  with  mighty  haste.  I  wish,  that  when  my 
hour  comes,  I  may  restrain  myself  as  well  as  my  deceased  father 
did.  We  have  now,  for  several  days,  been  so  full  of  mysteries 
one  with  another,  and  have  attempted  to  hide  in  all  corners  with 


CHRISTMAS   IN   SWEDEN.      •  409 


our  intrigues,  that  I  am  quite  weary  of  it,  and  long  for  the 
Christmas-goat,  which  will  explain  all.  And  anon,  his  hour  will 
be  come.  The  clock  strikes  seven ;  I  hear  the  voice  of  my  wife, 
which  orders  tea  and  saffron  cakes,  '  and  lights  in  the  par- 
lour.' Now  beat  the  hearts  of  the  children,  and — I  almost 
ihink — mine  also  !  I  leave  you,  and  will  continue  my  letter  to- 
morrow 

"  Cliristmas-day. 

You  should  have  seen  them,  my  four  children,  dancing  round 
the  Christmas-tree,  which  hung  full  of  apples,  gingerbread,  and 
other  gimcracks  ;  you  should  have  seen  them  in  the  light  of  the 
Christmas  candles,  beaming  with  joy,  skipping,  singing,  laughing 
in  unrestrained  life  enjoyment,  and  you  would  not  have  wondered 
that  I,  absorbed  by  the  observation  of  the  joyous  picture,  did  not 
remark  that  the  contents  of  my  tea-cup  which  I  poured  into  the 
saucer  ran  over,  until  I  perceived  something  warm  at  my  side, 
and  to  my  horror,  saw  a  gray  pool  upon  the  red  worsted  damask 
of  the  sofa.  I  immediately  wiped  it  up,  fortunately  unobserved 
by  my  wife ;  but  many  will  be  the  wonderings  as  to  how  and 
when  that  stain  came  upon  it ! 

"And  now  we  were  all  assembled;  my  wife — an  excellent  wife, 
I  assure  you,  but  almost  too  great  a  hater  of  stains  upon  furni- 
ture— my  wife,  my  wife's  husband,  two  young  relations,  the 
Student  N.,  and  Mamsell  Mina,  and  my  four  children.  We 
drank  tea  and  dipped  in  great  slices  of  saffron-bread.  "We  ought 
to  have  talked  and  made-believe  that  nothing  was  going  to  hap- 
pen. But  it  would  not  do.  The  state  of  the  weather  was  at- 
tempted. I  thought  we  should  have  snow.  iThe  Student, 
that  we  should  have  thaw  ;  my  wife's  idea  was,  that  we  should 
soon  have  winter  j  mine,  that  we  had  winter  already ;  Mamsell 
Mina's  that  we  should  have  an  early  spring,  and  so  on.  In  the 
meantime,  the  children  began  to  cast  expressive  glances  one  at 
another,  and  then  quickly  I  saw  my  eldest  daughter,  with  diplo- 
matic address,  steal  out  of  the  room,  and  then  the  rest,  one  after 
another.      Nobody  observed  it — Heaven  forbid !   but  my  wife 

35 


CHRISTMAS   IN    SWEDEN.  110 


smiled,  and  so  did  I.  In  a  little  while  the  children  again  entered, 
and  now,  in  solemn  procession,  the  eldest  first,  the  youngest 
last. 

<'  My  eldest  daughter,  a  twelve-year  old,  and  very  patriotic  girl, 
stepped  forward  towards  mo  with  a  waistcoat  in  her  hand,  which 
she  herself  had  worked  for  me,  and  which  blazed  with  the  colours 
of  the  Swedish  flag — yellow  and  blue  ;  both  waistcoat  and  girl  1 
clasped  tenderly  to  my  heart.  My  first-born  son,  a  promising 
youth  of  thirteen,  presented  at  the  same  time  to  his  mother,  with 
some  pride,  a  colossal  lorfg-legged  foot-stool,  which,  with  a  cer- 
tain fear  and  circumspection,  she  received  into  her  hands,  utter- 
ing a  joyous  exclamation  of  applause  at  this,  his  first  masterpiece 
of  carpentry.  After  this  he  approached  me,  and,  with  a  certain 
degree  of  horror,  I  saw  a  great  paper  in  his  hand.  'Now  it 
comes  !'  thought  I.  T  saw,  in  spirit,  the  Alps,  the  Mediterra- 
nean Sea,  the  Sun,  myself — myself,  even  ! — but  the  gentle  stars 
be. thanked  !  it  was  better  than  I  expected  ;  for,  as  with  terror  I 
took  the  i^aper  into  my  hands,  I  saw  no  Alps,  only  a  pair  of  hu- 
man heads,  which  seemed  to  be  goring  one  another — although  it 
■was  meant  to  represent  kissing — yet,  still,  the  whole  thing  was 
so  human,  that  I  could  with  great  truth  answer  my  wife's  some- 
what uneasily  questioning  glances  by — 'Ay,  ay  !  look  here,  now. 
At  his  age  I  could  hardly  have  done  better  myself!' 

"  My  six-years-old  Willie,  a  little  quiet  lad,  given  to  looking 
after  relics,  and  who  must  be  designed  for  an  antiquary — I  had 
a  presentiment  regarding  the  Christmas  gift  which  with  some 
importance,  he  presented  to  his  mother.  This  was  a  collection 
of  remarkable  things  which  he  had  found — crooked  pins,  broken- 
pointed  needles,  headless  nails,  glittering  grains  of  sand,  little 
pieces  of  gilding,  a  possible  piece  of  money,  and  such-like  curio- 
sities, which  caused  us  to  burst  into  a  hearty  laugh.  This  em- 
barrassed the  little  collector,  and  filled  his  eyes  with  tears,  which 
we  immediately  kissed  away,  and  assumed  that  demeanour  of  re- 
spect with  which  one  regards  relics  from  Herculaneum.  And  as 
among  these  treasures  we  discovered  an  old  Northern  coin  of  real 
Talue,  then  were  my  little  fellow  and  I  proud  and  glad.     Bertha 


CHRISTMAS   IN    SWEDEN.  411 


my  little  darling — she,  with  her  own  small  dear  fingers,  had 
made  her  first  essay  at  hemming,  on  a  pocket-handkerchief, 
which  father  and  mother  were  to  use  alternately,  or  in  company. 
The  two  young  relations  also  came  forth  modestly  with  their 
presents.  The  student,  with  verses  which  he  dedicated  to  my 
wife  and  me,  in  which  '  the  strength  of  the  North  '  was  spoken 
of,  Ygdrasiland  Ragnorak,  and  again  'the  strength  of  the  North.' 
MamscU  Mina  presented  us  with  an  especially  beautiful  piece  of 
work,  for  which,  with  crimsoning  cheeks,  she  received  our 
thanks. 

'*  Whilst  we — my  wife  and  I — were  more  closely  examining 
our  Christmas-gifts  by  the  light,  turning  them  in  every  direction, 
and  finding  them  all  remarkable,  there  suddenly  was  heard  a 
thundering  noise  at  the  door.  Great  sensation  !  especially 
among  the  younger  part  of  the  company.  Immediately  after- 
wards the  door  opened,  and  there  entered  a  beast  which  might 
have  put  to  flight  all  the  wild  boasts  of  Africa,  but  which  saluted 
with  great  good-will  the  small  community  in  the  room.  This 
was  the  Christmas-goat,  with  great  horns,  with  wild  shaggy  eye- 
brows, and  many  characteristics  of  the  monster  :  behind  him 
came  a  young  servant-maid  with  a  baking  trough  full  of  Christ- 
mas-boxes. And  immediately  was  the  room  bombarded  with 
these.  They  rolled  about,  and  flew  here  and  there,  and  after 
them  the  four,  children,  amid  a  tumult  of  delight.  A  terrible 
tumult  was  this.  The  long  legs  of  my  first-born  occasioned  a 
dreadful  convulsion  among  chairs  and  tables,  and  as  I  feared, 
even  upon  his  own  masterpiece  of  carpentry.  Amid  the 
universal  tumult,  I  happened  to  sec  my  wife  wrap  some- 
thing up  in  her  shawl ;  it  seemed  to  me  to  be  the  ruins  of 
the    colossal    footstool,    and    I    fancied    that    three    legs    were 


missing. 


"Every  seven  or  ten  minutes  the  Christmas  goat  made  a  vol- 
canic movement,  upon  which  many  little  packets  were  flung  up 
into  the  air.  At  one  time  a  half-anker,  and  then  a  half-cask, 
was  rolled  in  ;  and  all  these  had  to  be  brought  to  the  light,  and 
there,  in  presence  of  all,  their  inscriptions  read,  which  contained 


412  CHRISTMAS   IN   SWEDEN. 


many  odd  and  significant  puns,  jeu  d'esprits,  which  were  duly  in- 
terpreted. In  various  of  the  verses  I  perceived  the  young 
genius  of  the  student;  and  in  many  of  the  jokes  the  merry 
humour  of  Mina.  Two  hours  were  spent  amid  frolics  of  this 
kind,  and  the  peals  of  laughter  which  they  excited.  At  the 
end  of  that  time  the  young  student  stood  in  a  new  blac'k  suit, 
and,  striking  his  hand  upon  his  breast,  declaimed,  I  know  not 
what  sort  of  tragic-comic  oration,  before  Mamsell  Mina,  and 
she,  almost  killing  herself  with  laughter,  attempted  to  answer 
him  in  the  same  spirit.  My  first-born  made  entrechats  on  en- 
trechats around  a  library  of  ten  volumes;  my  eldest  daughter 
danced  before  her  new  hat ;  Willie  beat  a  drum ;  and  little 
Bertha  embraced  a  cat  of  pasteboard,  and  gave  it  the  most 
loving  of  pet  names.  That  was  a  confusion,  but  it  was  a  confu- 
sion which  did  the  heart  good.  All  the  young  ones  found 
their  wishes  gratified  :  and  each  and  all  had  therein  his  sugar- 
plum to  suck  at  a  future  time. 

"And  now  we  had  to  eat,  and  after  that  to  sleep;  both  of 
which  were  difiicult  for  the  children,  who  now  could  see 
nothing,  could  occupy  themselves  with  nothing,  but  their 
Christmas-boxes.  Each  one  took  his  most  precious  gift  to 
the  table.  Little  Bertha's  cat  must  go  with  her  to  bed. 
Every  one  longed  for  the  morrow,  that  he  might  the  better 
examine  his  splendid  treasures.  Whilst  they  lay  and  talked 
of  these  slumber  came  and  kissed  the  words  from  their  lips. 
They  now  lie  and  sleep.  Joyous  evening !  God  be  praised  for 
thee,  and  that  thou  comest  and  lightest  up  a  portion  of  our 
long  dark  winter  with  a  ray  of  that  light  which  once,  in  the 
darkness  of  the  world,  was  kindled  at  the  cradle  of  a  child. 
Beautiful,  also,  is  the  old  Swedish  custom  of  allowing  all  child- 
ren to  celebrate  the  birth  of  the  Child  of  God.  I  have  been  a 
child,  and  have  wept,  and  laughed,  and  wept  again,  like  all  my 
little  April-mooded  compeers,  quickly  forgetting  the  occasion  both 
of  smiles  and  tears.  I  have  become  a  man,  and  have  experi- 
enced the  sorrows  of  life,  and  the  pleasures  of  the  world ;  they 
are_now  only  as  a  dimmed  memory ;  but  like  a  newly  kindled 


CHRISTMAS   IN   SWEDEN. 


413 


light — like  a  clear,  crackling  winter's  fire — flames  up  before  my 
mind  the  delights  of  Christmas-evening  in  my  childhood. 
Many  a  pleasure,  many  a  breeze  of  spring,  many  a  bright 
beam  of  autumn  sunshine,  may  still  cheer  the  aged;  but  the 
joy  of  Christmas-eve,  that  indescribable,  unmixed,  innocently- 
intoxicating  delight,  experiences  he  never  more !  Yet  he  still 
can  enjoy  it,  in  the  gladness  of  children — his  own,  or— 
others ! 


35* 


BUDDHIST   PRIEST   OF   CEYLON. 


A  PEEP  AT  THE  "  PERAHARRA." 


Or  the  religious  festivals  of  the  Buddhists  of  Ceylon,  that  known 
as  the  Peraharra  is  the  most  important.  It  is  observed  at  Kandj, 
the  capital  of  the  ancient  kings  of  Ceylon,  and  at  Ratnapoora, 
the  chief  town  of  the  Saffragam  district.  Few  good  Buddhists 
will  be  absent  from  these  religious  observances ;  and  whole  fami- 
lies may  be  seen  journeying  on  foot  for  many  miles,  over  moun- 
tains, through  dense  jungles  and  unwholesome  swamps,  across 
rapid  and  dangerous  streams,  along  hot  sandy  pathways,  loaded 
with  their  pittance  of  food  and  the  more  bulky  presents  of  fruit, 
(414) 


A   PEEP   AT   THE   PERAIIARRA.  415 


nee,  oil,  and  flowers,   to  lay  at  the  foot  of  the  holy  shrine   of 
Buddha,  to  be  eventually  devoured  by  the  insatiable  priests. 

lu  the  month  of  July,  1840,  I  had  a  peep  at  the  celebrated 
Peraharra  of  llatuapoora,  where  the  shrine  sacred  to  the  memory 
of  Saman  rivals  in  attraction  the  great  Dalada  Maligaica  of 
Kandy.  Like  its  mountain  competitor,  it  has  its  relic  of  Buddha 
enshrined  in  a  richly-jeweled  casket,  which  is  made  an  object  of 
especial  veneration  to  the  votaries  of  that  god.  Saman  was  the 
brother  of  the  famed  Bama,  the  Malabar  conqueror  who  invaded 
Ceylon  in  ages  long  past,  and  extirpated  from  its  flowery  shores 
the  race  of  mighty  giants  who  had  held  its  people  in  subjection 
for  many  centuries — asort  of  Oriental  King  Arthur.  To  Saman 
was  given  the  district  of  Saff"ragani ;  and  the  people  of  that  coun- 
try at  his  death,  promoted  him  to  the  dignity  of  a  deity,  as  a 
slight  token  of  their  regard. 

The  Batnapoora  festival  is  the  more  attractive  by  reason  of  its 
being  made  the  occasion  of  a  large  trafiic  in  precious  stones,  with 
which  the  neighbourhood  abounds.  In  this  way  the  great  part 
of  the  Buddhists  manage  to  combine  commerce  with  devotion. 

The  road  to  the  Saff'ragam  district  was,  in  the  time  at  which  I 
travelled  it,  a  very  barbarous  and  dangerous  aff"air,  difi'ering  widely 
from  the  excellent  traces  which  existed  through  most  of  the 
maritime  provinces  of  Ceylon.  It  was  then,  in  fact,  little  more 
than  a  mere  bullock-track,  or  bridle-path,  with  no  bridges  to  aid 
in  crossing  the  streams  which  intersect  it.  The  journey  from 
Colombo  to  Batnapoora  may  now  be  easily  performed  in  one  day: 
at  that  time  it  required  a  good  nag  and  careful  diligence  to  accom- 
plish it  in  two. 

Day  dawned  as  I  got  clear  of  the  Pettah,  or  Black  Town  of 
Colombo,  and  crossed  a  small  stream  which  led  me  to  the  jun- 
gle, or  village  road,  I  was  to  follow.  In  England,  we  should  call 
such  a  muddy  lane;  but  here  one  knows  little  between  the  good 
high  roads  and  the  bullock  track.  Strange  as  it  may  sound  to 
home  travellers,  one  is  often  glad  to  see  the  sun  rise,  and  feel  it 
warm  the  heavy,  damp  air  in  the  tropics.  Before  me  lay  a  lon^ 
straggling  line  of  low  jungle,  indicating  the  road  ;  far  away  in 


416  A   PEEP   AT   THE   PERAHARRA. 


the  distance  rose  the  high,  bluff  hill  and  rocks  towering  over  the 
once  royal  domain  of  Avishawella.  Around,  on  every  side,  was 
water,  completely  hiding  the  fields  from  view,  and  only  allowing 
a  bush,  or  a  tree,  or  a  hut-top,  to  be  seen  peeping  up  through 
the  aqueous  vail,  dotting  the  wide  expanse  like  daisies  in  a  field. 
The  rains  had  flooded  the  whole  of  the  low  country,  which,  inun- 
dated by  many  mountain  torrents,  could  not  discharge  the  mass 
of  streams  nearly  so  fast  as  it  received  them.  Over  and  across  all 
this  watery  wilderness  huge  masses  of  misty  vapour  came  rolling 
and  tumbling  along,  as  though  shrouding  some  Titanic  water- 
sprites  who  had  been  keeping  it  up  rather  late  the  night  before, 
and  were  not  quite  sure  of  the  way  home.  One  might  have 
imagined,  indeed,  that  it  was  some  universal  washing-day,  and 
that  the  great  lid  of  the  national  copper  had  just  been  lifted  up. 
As  the  sun  rose  above  the  line  of  black  rocks  in  the  distance, 
its  rays  lit  up  those  misty  monsters  of  the  flood,  imparting  to 
them  life-like  tints,  which  gave  them  beauty,  and  forms  they  had 
not  known  before.  As  these  sun-lit  fogs  rolled  on,  a  thousand 
shapes  moved  fitfully  among  them ;  troops  of  wild  horsemen ; 
crystal  palaces  with  gilded  gates ;  grim  figures  playing  at  bo- 
peep  ;  hills,  towns,  and  castles ;  with  many  a  ship  at  sea,  and 
lovely  cottages  in  quiet,  sunny  glades ;  all  these,  and  more, 
seemed  there.  "With  the  sea-breeze,  all  that  array  of  cloudy 
creatures  departed,  leaving  the  air  hot  and  stifling  from  the  re- 
flection of  the  sun's  rays  in  the  endless  flood  above  me.  But 
where  were  the  poor  Singalese  villagers,  their  families,  and  their 
goods,  amidst  all  this  wreck?  As  I  jogged  along,  the  cry  of  a 
child,  the  crowing  of  a  cock,  the  bark  of  a  dog,  floated  across  the 
ocean  of  mist,  but  whence  came  they  ?  I  looked  to  the  right 
and  to  the  left.  I  strained  my  eyes  straightforward,  but  not  a 
soul,  or  a  feather,  or  a  snout  was  to  be  seen.  Presently  the  fog 
cleared  away,  and  I  could  see  overhead  into  the  trees.  There, 
chairs,  tables,  chattels,  paddy-pounders,  boxes  of  clothes,  children 
in  cots,  men,  women,  cats,  dogs,  all  wore  there  in  one  strange 
medley,  curiously  ensconced  among  the  wide-spreading  branches 
i»f  the  trees.       Over  their   heads,  and  on   each   side,  mats  and 


A   PEEP   AT   THE   PERAHARRA.  417 


cocoa-nut  leaves  were  hung  to  keep  off  rain  and  damp  fogs,  while 
against  each  side  of  the  tree  was  placed  a  thick  notched  stick, 
which  served  as  a  ladder  for  the  whole  party.  Here  and  there 
canoes  were  to  be  seen  paddled  across  the  fields  to  keep  up  com- 
munication between  the  different  villages.  It  was  a  strange  but 
desolate  spectacle,  and  I  was  glad  to  find  myself,  at  last,  free 
from  the  watery  neighbourhood,  and  once  more  riding  on  terra 
fir  ma. 

During  the  heat  of  the  next  day  I  turned  aside  to  a  shady 
green  lane.  A  mile  along  this  quiet  pathway,  I  was  tempted  to 
rest  myself  at  the  mouth  of  a  dark-looking  cave,  by  the  side  of 
a  running  stream  of  beautiful  water.  Tying  my  pony  to  a  bush, 
I  entered  at  the  low  archwa^',  and  found  myself  at  once  in  utter 
darkness ;  but  after  a  short  time  I  began  to  distinguish  objects, 
knd  then  saw,  close  to  me,  one  whom  I  should  have  least  looked 
for  in  that  strange  desolate  spot.  It  was  a  Chinese,  tail  and  all. 
My  first  idea  was,  as  I  looked  at  the  figure  through  the  dim  light 
of  the  cave,  that  it  was  nothing  more  than  a  large  china  jar,  or, 
perhaps  a  huge  tea-chest,  left  there  by  some  traveller ;  but,  when 
the  great  round  face  relaxed  into  a  grin,  and  the  little  pea-like 
eyes  winked,  and  the  tail  moved,  and  the  thick  lips  uttered  bro- 
ken English,  I  took  a  proper  view  of  the  matter,  and  wished  my 
cavern  acquaintance  "good-morning."  I  soon  gathered  the  occu- 
pation of  See  Chee  in  this  strange  place ;  the  cave  we  were  then 
in  was  one  of  the  many  in  that  neighbourhood,  in  which  a  par- 
ticular kind  of  swallow  builds  the  edible  nests  so  highly  prized 
by  the  Chinese  and  Japanese  for  conversion  into  soups,  stews, 
and,  for  aught  we  know,  into  tarts.  The  Chinaman  told  me, 
what  I  was  scarcely  prepared  to  learn,  that  he  rented  from  the 
Ceylon  government  the  privilege  to  seek  these  birds'  nests  in 
this  district,  for  which  he  paid  the  yearly  sum  of  one  hundred 
dollars  or  seven  pounds,  ten  shillings.  Procuring  a  chule,  or 
native  torch,  the  Chinese  ncst-hunter  showed  me  long  ledges  of 
shelving  rock  at  the  top  of  the  cavern,  whereon  whole  legions  of 
curious  little  gummy-like  excrescences  were  suspended;  some 
were  perfect  nests,  others  were  in  course  of  formation,  and  these 


418  A    PEEP   AT    THE    PERAHARRA. 

latter  I  learned  were  the  most  valued  ;  those  which  had  had  the 
young  birds  reared  in  them  being  indifferently  thought  of,  and 
were  only  bought  by  the  lower  orders  of  soup-makers.  Having 
rested  myself  and  pony,  I  once  more  pushed  on  for  llatnapoora, 
whei-e  I  arrived,  heated,  jaded,  and  dusty,  by  high  noon. 

A  chattic  bath  seldom  fails  to  refresh  the  Indian  traveller,  and 
fit  him  for  the  enjoyment  of  his  meal.  In  the  cool  of  the  even- 
ing I  strolled  out  to  watch  the  preparations  for  the  nightly  fes- 
tivities. These  continue  for  about  a  fortnight,  chiefly  after  sun- 
set, though  devotees  may  be  seen  laying  their  simple  offerings  at 
the  foot  of  the  shrine,  during  most  part  of  the  afternoon.  The 
little  bazaar  of  the  town  was  alive  with  business ;  all  vestiges  of 
its  wonted  filth  and  wretchedness  were  hidden  beneath  long  strips 
of  white  linen,  and  garlands  of  cocoa-nut  leaves  and  flowers  hung 
round  by  bands  of  bright  red  cloth.  Piles  of  tempting  warSs 
were  there;  beads,  bangles,  and  scarfs  to  decorate;  rice,  jaggery 
and  sweetmeats  to  eat,  and  innumerable  liquors  to  drink,  were 
placed  in  profuse  array.  The  streets  and  lanes  poured  forth  long 
strings  of  human  beings,  heated  with  the  sun,  flushed  witli  drink, 
and  bedizened  with  trumpery  jewelry,  and  mock  finery.  Poor 
tillers  of  the  soil;  beggarly  fishermen;  mendicant  cinnamon- 
peelers;  half-starved  coolies;  lean,  sickly  women,  and  poor  im- 
mature children,  passed  onward  in  the  motley  throng,  burying 
their  every-day  misery  beneath  the  savage  mirth  of  a  night  or 
two  at  the  Peraharra. 

Following  the  living,  dark  stream,  as  closely  as  the  heat,  dust, 
and  strange  odours  would  allow  me,  I  arrived,  at  leu2;th,  near  to 
the  Temple  of  Saniau.  Tlie  edifice,  of  which  I  caught  a  distant 
glimpse,  was  half  concealed  beneath  the  heavy,  luxuriant  foliage 
of  cocoa-nut  topes,  arekas,  plantains,  and  b;inyan  trees.  An 
ocean  of  human  heads  filled  up  the  space  around  the  building, 
from  which  proceeded  the  well-known  sounds  of  the  reed  and 
the  tom-tom.  Gay  flags  fluttered  from  the  four  corners,  and  the 
lofty  pinnacle  in  the  centre ;  wreaths  of  flowers,  plaited  leaves 
and  ribbons  of  many  colors,  waved  jauntily  from  roof  to  door; 


A   PEEP   AT   TUE   PERAHARRA.  419 


wliile  rouud  the  pillars  of  the  walls  and  door-posts  clustered  rich 
bunches  of  most  tempting  fruit. 

Close  by  this  busy  scene,  another  group  was  forming  under  a 
large  and  lofty  Pandalil,  or  open  bungalow.  Forcing  my  way  to 
one  corner  of  the  shed,  I  found  a  company  of  Indian  jugglers, 
consisting  of  two  men,  a  girl,  and  a  child  of  perhaps  three  years. 
The  men  were  habited  in  strange  uncouth  dresses,  with  lai-ge 
strings  of  heavy  black  beads  around  their  necks ;  the  girl  was 
simply  and  neatly  clad  in  white,  with  silver  bangles  and  anklets, 
and  a  necklace  of  native  diamonds.  It  would  be  impossible  to 
detail  all  their  extraordinary  performances,  which  far  exceeded  any 
thing  I  had  ever  read  of  their  art.  The  quantity  of  iron  and 
brass  ware  which  they  contrived  to  swallow  was  truly  marvellous; 
ten-penny  nails,  clasp-knives,  gimlets,  were  all  treated  as  so  many 
items  of  pastry  or  confectionary,  and  I  could  but  picture  to  my- 
self the  havoc  a  dozen  of  these  cormorants  would  commit  in  an 
ironmonger's  shop.  Not  the  least  remarkable  of  their  feats  was 
that  of  producing  a  sheet  of  water  upon  the  sand  close  at  our 
feet;  and,  after  conjuring  upon  its  clear  surface  half-a-dozen 
young  ducks  and  geese,  suddenly  causing  it  to  freeze  in  such  a 
solid  mass  as  to  allow  of  our  walking  across  it  without  causing 
so  much  as  a  crack  in  its  crystal  body.  One  more  feat  I  must  re- 
late ;  which  was  that  of  suspending  the  girl  while  seated  on  a 
sort  of  ottoman,  to  the  ridge-pole  of  the  shed;  and  at  a  given  signal, 
removing  the  rope  by  which  she  hung,  leaving  her  still  suspended 
in  the  air — not  with  a  regular  apparatus,  such  as  is  used  by  the 
performers  of  a  similar  trick  in  London  and  Paris,  but  apparently 
with  no  apparatus  at  all !  For,  to  my  exceeding  amazement, 
a  sword  was  given  to  me,  as  the  only  European  of  the  company, 
and  I  was  told  to  cut  and  slash  as  much  as  I  pleased  above  and 
around  the  girl.  Aft^r  some  hesitation,  I  hacked  and  hewed  the 
air  in  every  direction,  around  and  close  to  the  suspended  maiden 
with  a  vigour  which  would  inevitably  cut  asunder  any  means  of 
support ;  yet  there  she  swung  unmoved,  without  any  sort  of  ap- 
parent ageut  of  suspension  except  the  air  itself!  Snake-charming 


420  A  PEEP  AT   THE   PERAHAREA. 


and  dancing  completed  the  entertainment.  When  I  left  the 
place  it  was  night. 

Near  the  temple  all  was  noise  and  confusion,  and  it  was  with 
some  difficulty  that  I  forced  my  way  through  the  dense  crowd, 
and  reached  the  steps  of  the  venerated  shrine.  The  priest  sta- 
tioned at  the  entrance  made  a  way  in  for  me  as  well  as  ha  could, 
but  the  pressure  inside  was  intense.  Hundreds  of  men  and 
women  pressed  eagerly  forward  to  reach  the  flight  of  huge  stone 
stairs  which  led  up  to  the  sacred  depository.  It  was  as  bad  as  a 
crush  to  get  into  the  Crystal  Palace.  My  passage  was  so  slow 
that  I  had  time  to  examine  and  admire  the  fine  antique  carved 
work  on  the  pillars  and  ceiling  of  the  entrance-hall,  as  well  as  on 
the  tall  pilasters  which  lined  the  ample  staircase.  There  was  a 
beauty  of  style  and  a  high  degree  of  finish  about  this  work  that 
could  not  be  attained  in  Ceylon  in  the  present  day.  Arrived,  at 
length,  at  the  inner  temple  or  sacred  shrine  above,  I  passed  with 
the  rest,  between  a  richly  brocaded  curtain  which  hung  in  folds 
across  the  entrance  at  the  top  of  the  stairs,  and  stood  before  the 
famed  relic  of  Buddha,  or  rather  the  jeweled  casket  which  con- 
tained it.  I  felt  disappointed  at  the  spectacle  here  arising,  per- 
haps from  my  taking  no  interest  in  the  exhibition  as  a  religious 
ceremony,  and  looking  at  it  merely  as  an  empty  show,  not  far 
removed  from  the  status  of  Bartholomew  Fair.  The  strong  glare 
of  a  hundred  lights,  the  heat  and  crowd  of  so  many  in  so  small  a 
place,  the  sickly  perfume  of  the  piles  of  Buddha  flowers  heaped 
before  the  shrine  by  the  pilgrims,  the  deafening,  discordant  din 
of  a  score  of  tom-toms,  and  vile  screeching  pipes  made  me  glad 
enough  to  descend  the  stairs,  and  flinging  a  rupee  into  the  poor- 
box  of  the  god,  to  escape  once  more  into  the  fresh  air. 

From  the  votaries  of  Saman  I  entered  another  crowd  assem- 
bled round  a  gaily  decorated  building,  which  I  at  once  perceived 
was  a  Hindoo  temple.  Here,  to  the  sound  of  much  music,  and 
by  the  light  of  many  lamps,  a  group  of  young  dancing-girls  were 
delighting  the  motley  crowd.  There  were  but  three  of  them,  one  a 
finely-made,  tall,  sylph-like  creature,  with  really  graceful  move- 
ments ;  the  others   younger,  stouter,  and  fur  less  pleasing.     A 


A   PEEP   AT   THE   PERAHARRA.  421 


good  deal  of  pains  Lad  evidently  been  taken  with  their  dress, 
which  sparkled  at  all  points  with  what  I  was  assured  were  pre- 
cious stones.  I  have  heard  that  is  not  uncommon  for  these 
Nautch  girls  to  have  jewelry  about  their  dress  to  the  value  of 
twenty  thousand  pounds.  The  graceful  little  jacket  which  the 
chief  dancer  wore  over  her  flowing  white  robes  sparkled  and 
glistened  with  something  which  was  quite  new  to  me  as  articles 
of  ornament :  along  the  edge  of  her  pure  white  garment,  shone 
a  whole  host  of  fire-flies,  which  by  some  ingenious  arrangement 
had  been  secured  to  the  dress,  and  gave  a  strange  and  pleasing 
novelty  to  the  appearance  of  her  attire,  as  she  swept  gracefully 
round  in  slow  and  measured  steps.  The  music  to  which  these 
people  dance,  is  any  thing  but  pleasing  to  an  English  ear  :  indeed, 
there  is  scarcely  a  trace  of  rhythm  in  it;  yet  they  contrive  to 
measure  their  mazy  and  difiicult  dance  by  its  notes  with  admira- 
ble precision.  Long  custom  has  so  attached  them  to  their  empty, 
meaningless  music  that  they  can  appreciate  no  other.  I  am  cer- 
tain that  M.  Julien's  band  would  scarcely  be  listened  to  by  the 
Singalese  if  there  were  a  few  tom-toms  within  hearing.  It  is  a 
curious  fact  that  in  the  districts  in  which  these  Nautch  girls  are 
brought  up,  education  is  so  rare,  that  these  dancers  are  generally 
the  only  lay  persons  within  many  days'  journey  who  can  either 
read  or  write.  The  priests  can  all  read,  if  not  write,  and  they 
take  care  to  instruct  the  temple-girls  in  order  to  enable  them  to 
learn  the  various  songs  and  legends  for  recital  at  their  periodic 
festivals.  The  rest  of  the  population  they  keep  in  the  densest 
ignorance. 

Leaving  the  dancers  and  priests,  I  strolled  toward  the  river 
Kaloo-ganga,  whose  quiet,  palm-shaded  banks  stood  out  in  sweet- 
est contrast  to  the  noisy  revelry  I  had  just  beheld.  The  moon  was 
near  the  full,  and  rising  high  above  the  many  rich  green  topes 
of  palms,  and  gorgeous  plantains,  lit  up  the  peaceful  scene  with 
radiance  not  of  earth.  It  is  hardly  possible  to  conceive  the 
magic  beauty  of  moonlight  in  the  tropics ;  those  who  have  wit- 
nessed it,  can  never  forget  their  feelings  under  its  influence. 

36 


422  A   PEEP   AT   THE   PERAHARRA. 


it,  but  the  aifair  would  be  a  dead  failure ;  and  did  it  succeed, 
strangers  to  these  climes  would  pronounce  it  an  unnatural  paint- 
ing. Even  in  its  reality,  it  bears  the  impress  of  something  half 
unearthly,  and  it  requires  the  testimony  of  the  huge  fingery 
leaves,  as  they  wave  to  the  breeze,  to  assure  one  that  the  whole 
scene  is  not  imaginary.  Fully  as  bright  and  radiating,  though 
softer  in  its  hue,  than  the  broad  sunshine,  the  moon  poured  dowr. 
in  living  streams  its  gifts  of  ether-light.  The  monster  palms, 
the  slender  arekas,  the  feathery  bamboos  and  tamarinds,  revelled 
in  the  harmony  and  glow  of  radiant  moonlight,  which  leaping 
down  in  phosphorescent  waves,  sprang  on  from  leaf  to  flower, 
from  bud  to  herb,  and  streaming  through  the  waving  seas  of 
giant,  emerald  grass,  died  sparkling  at  its  feet. 

Some  of  the  topes  along  this  gentle  river  grew  so  thickly  that 
not  the  faintest  ray  of  light  found  its  soft  way  among  them ;  the 
deepest  shade  was  there,  and  only  in  one  of  these  could  I  trace 
any  vestiges  of  liAnng  beings.  A  little  hut  was  buried  far  away 
in  the  inmost  recesses  of  a  tope — all  bright  above,  all  gloom 
below.  The  door  was  open,  and  from  it  shone  a  faintly  glim- 
mering light ;  so  tiny  was  the  ray  amidst  that  heavy  shade,  so 
distant  did  it  seem,  that  it  defied  all  conception  of  space,  and 
made  my  eyes  ache  to  gaze  at  it.  I,  at  length,  distinguished 
faint  sounds  proceeding  from  it.  They  were  those  of  a  regular 
harmony.  Strolling  nearer,  I  -heard  that  they  proceeded  from 
cultivated  voices.  What  a  sensation !  The  music  was  that  of 
the  "  Evening  Hymn  I"  and  it  came  upon  me  with  the  echoes 
of  the  uncouth  Babel  of  Heathenism  I  had  just  left  still  ringing 
in  my  ears,  like  the  sun-light  on  a  surging  sea.  When  I 
recovered  from  the  delightful  surprise,  I  found  that  the  singers 
were  the  family  of  a  native  missionary  who  had  embraced  Chris- 
tianity. 

The  next  day  the  bazaar  was  crowded  with  dealers  in  and  dig- 
gers for  precious  stones.  Hundreds  of  Moormen,  Chitties,  Arabs, 
Parsees,  and  Singalese  were  busily  employed  in  barter ;  and  a 
most  noisy  operation  it  was.  In  the  neighbourhood  of  Ratna- 
poora  exist  many  tracts  of   clayey  and  gravelly  land,  rich  in 


A   PEEP   AT   THE   PERAIIARPtA.  423 


rubies,  sapphires,  garnets,  turquoise,  and  cat's-cyes.  For  tLe 
privilege  of  digging  for  these,  or  of  sifting  th.em  from  the  sands 
of  some  of  the  rivers,  the  natives  pay  heavy  rents  to  Govern- 
ment; often  sub-letting  the  ground,  at  large  profits,  to  needy 
speculators.  Their  harvest  is  usually  ofiered  for  sale  during  the 
Peraharra;  and,  be  their  gains  what  they  may,  they  are  generally 
rid  of  the  whole  amount  before  the  end  of  the  festival.  The  exist- 
once  of  this  source  of  wealth  is  unfortunately,  a  bane,  rather  than 
a  blessing,  to  the  district ;  for  whole  villages  flock  to  the  ruby- 
grounds,  delving  and  sifting  for  weeks  together,  utterly  neglect- 
ing their  rice  fields  and  gardens.  Arrack  taverns  have  multi- 
plied, intemperance  has  increased,  long  tracts  of  fertile  land  have 
ceased  to  be  sown  with  paddy,  and  the  country-people  now  buy 
their  food  from  strangers,  in  place  of  growing  it  as  formerly.  It 
will  be  a  happy  time  for  Safiragam  vrhcn  its  stores  of  precious 
stones  shall  be  exhausted ;  for  nut  till  then  will  peaceful  indus- 
try be  once  more  sought. 

Strus"lin2  and  forcin;^;  a  v,':'.y  throui;h  the  bn?y  crowd  were  tc 
be  seen  one  or  two  Hindoo  iukecrs,  most  repulsive  objects,  de- 
ponding  for  subsistence  on  the  alms  of  pilgrims  and  others.  One 
of  these  wretched  creatures.  In  the  fulfilment  of  a  vow,  or  as  an 
act  of  fancied  righteousness,  luid  held  his  left  arm  for  so  mai;y 
years  erect  above  his  head,  that  it  could  not  now  be  moved — and 
grew  transfixed,  emaciated,  and  bony.  It  seemed  more  like  a 
dry,  withered  stick  tied  to  the  body  than  a  part  of  itself.  The 
other  fakcer  had  closed  his  hands  so  long  that  the  finger-nails 
had  grown  quite  through  the  palms,  and  projected  at  the  back 
of  them  ;  these  miserable-looking  objects  appeared  to  reap  a  tol- 
erable harvest,  and  seemed  to  be  then  in  no  pain. 

Under  the  shade  of  a  banyan  tree,  a  grave-looking  Moornian 
was  amusing  a  crowd  of  boy:3  and  women  with  ""he  recital  of 
some  wonderful  or  silly  legend.  The  trade  of  story-telling,  in 
the  East,  is  still  a  profitable  one,  if  I  might  judge  from  the  com- 
fortable appearance  of  this  well-clad  talker. 

AVhen  I  left  Ratnapoora  crowds  were  still  flocking  into  the 


424 


A   PEEP  AT   THE   PERAHARRA. 


town,  for  on  the  morrow  the  huge  temple  elephants  were  ex- 
pected to  march  in  procession  through  the  place,  decked  out 
in  all  sorts  of  finery,  and  bearing  the  casket  and  relic;  but 
it  was  a  wearisome  spectacle,  and  I  was  heartily  glad  to  find 
myself  once  more  on  my  pony,  quietly  winding  through  green 
paddy-fields  and  under  shady  topes. 


■~-^${^''k<   |^5|/_ljg>:,-:r:i^^ 


^..s^'-.i''i{:'yy^^. 


THE   INDIAN   LION. 

HUNTING  IN  THE   INDIAN  AIIGHIPELAGO. 

In  consequence  of  information  received  from  several  natives 
that  abundance  of  large  game  was  to  be  found  along  the  banks 
of  the  Moar  river,  a  party  of  three  agreed  to  explore  its  re- 
sources. A  Malacca  boat,  with  a  small  cabin  capable  of  shel- 
tering us  from  rain  and  sun,  was  accordingly  hired,  the  neces- 
sary provender  for  a  three  weeks'  cruise  put  on  board,  and  we 
started  from  Singapore  with  favouring  breezes.  The  latter  soon 
forsook  us,  and  instead  of  a  passage  of  twenty-four  hours,  as  we 
expected,  we  did  not  arrive  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  before 
three  days,  where  we  were  very  nearly  terminating  our  journey  in  a 
rather  unpropitious  manner.  A  strong  north-west  wind  blowing 
against  an  ebb  tide  caused  the  sea  to  get  up  most  unpleasantly, 
and  upon  attempting  to  get  over  the  bar  we  found  so  little  water 
that  our  boat  all  but  struck  several  times,  so  that  we  were  com- 
pelled to  up  sail  and  go  out  to  sea  for  the  night.  Had  we  struck, 
the  boat  would  have  gone  to  pieces  in  five  minutes,  for  they  are 

36*  (425) 


W, 


426        HUNTING   IN   THE   INDIAN   ARCHIPELAGO. 


miserably  constructed  craft,  put  together  with  the  very  fewest 
possible  number  of  nails,  and  look  as  if  a  good  shake  would 
cause  them  to  fall  asunder.  The  two  large  mat  sails  have  to  be 
lowered  and  shifted  from  side  to  side  of  the  masts  on  every  oc- 
casion of  tacking,  and  are  so  cumbrous  and  clumsy  that  one 
would  suppose  them  to  have  been  invented  about  the  time  of  the 
Argonauts.  We  got,  however,  safely  over  the  bar  and  into  the 
river  the  following  morning,  and  with  about  half-flood  in  our  fa- 
vour, proceeded  to  pull  leisurely  up  the  river. 

The  Moar  is  a  fine  river,  and  could  vessels  get  over  the  bar,  a 
ship  of  the  largest  size  might  go  up  for  fully  one  hundred  miles. 
There  is  ample  depth  of  water,  but  the  river  is  extremely  tortu- 
ous in  its  course,  winding  so  as  to  bring  the  sun  shining  in  your 
face  this  hour,  right  behind  you  the  next,  or  in  less  than  that 
time  right  round  the  compass.  The  general  direction  of  the 
river  is  westward,  and  it  rises,  by  the  account  given  us  by  the 
Malays  in  the  mountains  of  Pahang,  leaving  Mount  Ophir  con- 
siderably to  the  west,  and  the  fall  must  be  very  gradual,  for  the 
ebb  and  flow  are  pretty  equal.  The  river  is  about  five  hundred 
yards  broad,  after  you  enter,  but  it  soon  diminishes  to  about 
three  hundred  yards,  and  this  breadth  I  should  think  it  retains 
for  seventy  or  eighty  miles.  At  Bukit  Kupong,  where  we 
stopped  for  some  days,  about  one  hundred  miles  up  the  river, 
the  Malay  man  who  lives  there,  told  us  he  measured  the  stream 
opposite  his  house,  and  that  it  was  exactly  sixty-five  fathoms 
broad.  Between  Sungei  Mati  and  Grisi  the  river  becomes  en- 
tirely fresh ;  the  water  is  excellent  to  drink,  and  soft  and  most 
refreshing  to  bathe  in.  It  is,  however,  full  of  alligators  of  large 
size,  and  it  is  therefore  unsafe  to  swim  about,  although  we  did  so  on 
one  occasion  ;  but  the  sight  of  large  alligators  next  day  was  suffi- 
cient bint  to  us  to  confine  our  ablutions  to  lifting  water  from  the 
river  in  a  timbah,  eastern  fashion.  For  the  first  ten  or  twenty  miles 
the  banks  of  the  river  are  clothed  with  the  usual  mangrove,  but 
not  so  entirely  as  I  expected.  Every  now  and  then  there  are 
pleasant  vistas  showing  diversified  foliage.  The  nipah  palm 
fringes   the   river,  and   is   evidently   cut   down   all   along   the 


nUNTING   IN    THE   INDIAN   ARCHIPELAGO.        427 


banks.  The  nebong  palm  is  very  abundant ;  there  appears  to  be 
regular  forests  of  it,  and  often  did  we  desire  a  cabbage  from  the 
top  of  one,  but  we  had  no  hatchet  to  cut  them  down,  and  the 
thorns  with  which  the  tree  is  covered  effectually  prevents  the 
possibility  of  climbing  it.  For  a  long  way  up  the  river  there  is 
no  appearance  of  human  habitations.  The  first  arrived  at  are 
those  at  Sungei  Mati,  but  we  did  not  visit  this  place,  to  our  great 
regret,  as  there  are  abundance  of  deer  to  be  found  on  an  island 
formed  by  the  splitting  of  this  tributary  of  the  Moar  before  it 
joins  the  parent  stream,  and  it  seems  to  be  the  very  region  of 
elephants,  of  which  we  had  a  convincing  proof  the  first  night  of  our 
arrival.  As  it  is  impossible  to  proceed  against  the  tide,  we  were 
compelled  to  anchor  every  ebb,  and  pull  with  the  flood. 
Anxious  to  avail  ourselves  to  the  utmost  of  the  flood-tide,  we 
ha-l  agreed  to  take  our  turns  of  watch  to  keep  the  men  at  their 
oars,  and  much  they  needed  such  vigilance,  for  a  more  lazy,  good 
for  nothing  set  of  fellows  we  could  .scarcely  have  found  had  we 
been  looking  for  them.  About  half-past  eleven  our  companion 
on  watch  heard  a  roar,  which  he  ut  first  thought  issued  from  a 
legion  of  tigers,  and  presently  a  plunge  into  the  water  as  if  a 
shoal  of  whales  were  playing  their  gambols  in  the  vicinity. 
But  he  was  not  left  long  in  suspense,  for,  although  the  night  was 
dark,  he  soon  observed  some  fifteen  or  twenty  large  objects  ap- 
proaching the  boat,  which  after  contemplating  for  some  time,  he 
concluded  must  be  elephants,  whereupon  he  ran  down  and  awoke 
Mr.  S.  and  myself.  All  our  guns  were  unfortunately  in  their  cases, 
as  we  did  not  dream  of  having  shooting  so  soon,  or  that  animals 
would  be  so  accommodating  as  to  swim  off  to  us,  but  Mr.  S.  had 
a  single-barrel  rifle  loaded  the  previous  evening  to  shoot  alliga- 
tors. This  was  discharged  at  three  or  four  of  the  animals  at  about 
twenty  paces  distant.  Immediately  after  firing  he  looked  down 
and  found  the  proboscis  of  a  fellow  Vr'ithin  a  few  feet  of  him,  so 
close  that  he  was  compelled  to  start  back  to  prevent  the  animal 
from  laying  hold  of  him.  The  beast  had  got  right  under  the  bow  of 
the  boat,  and  one  of  the  boatmen,  to  keep  him  off,  took  a  long  pole 
Used  for  keeping  the  sail  on  stretch,  and  commenced  poking  the 


428       HUNTING  IN   THE   INDrAN   ARCHIPELAGO. 


elephant  in  the  head,  which  he  resented  by  jerking  the  pole  out 
of  the  man's  hand,  with  such  violence  that  he  narrowly  escaped 
joining  them  in  their  nocturnal  swim.  The  boat  then  passed 
right  over  the  back  of  the  beast,  who  came  up  on  the  opposite 
side  and  made  for  shore,  and  when  he  was  about  five  paces  dis- 
tant, a  Bengali  Shikari,  who  accompanied  us,  put  a  couple  of 
bullets  into  his  neck,  from  a  large  musket  he  had  contrived  to 
load  with  a  charge,  judging  from  the  report,  enough  for  a  small 
cannon.  Upon  this  the  beast  uttered  a  yell  as  if  grievously 
hurt,  and  had  we  stopped,  the  chances  are  we  might  have  fol- 
lowed him  up  and  got  him  next  day.  But,  we  were  anxious  to 
get  up  the  river  to  the  plains,  where  we  had  reason  to  suppose 
the  wild  cattle  abounded,  and  therefore  proceeded  on  our  way  so 
soon  as  the  excitement  of  the  present  visit  subsided.  The  troop 
of  elephants  must  have  been  very  large,  for  besides  those  that 
swam  the  river,  we  heard  trumpeting  in  all  directions  along  the 
side  they  came  from,  answering  those  that  crossed  over,  who  no 
doubt  intimated  to  their  companions  that  all  was  not  quite  right 
in  the  river.  The  following  day  we  stopped  at  a  place  called 
Grisi,  where  there  is  a  single  Malay  hut  inhabited  by  an  old 
man  and  his  family,  who  has  a  few  cocoa-nut  trees  around  the 
house,  but,  save  those,  no  other  species  of  cultivation,  although 
the  spot  appears  to  be  one  capable  of  producing  all  tropical 
fruits,  rice,  &c.  It  is  a  marvel  how  these  people  exist.  The 
river  supplies  them  with  fish,  and  a  large  fine  kind  of  prawn, 
called  "  Udong  Gala,"  but  how  they  procure  rice  and  salt  I  know 
not,  seeing  that  they  are  too  lazy  to  put  their  hands  to  any  kind 
of  work.  We  spent  a  pleasant  time  at  Grisi,  saw  the  tracks  of 
a  variety  of  wild  animals,  deers  and  tigers  especially,  also  of  the 
elephant,  and  the  rhinoceros,  and  heard  and  saw  several  jungle- 
fowl,  and  got  some  shots  at  the  latter.  On  the  tide  making, 
and  after  a  most  refreshing  bathe,  we  started  for  Pankalang 
Kotah,  where  we  hoped  to  obtain  guides  to  show  us  the  haunts 
of  the  Saladang  or  iR^ild  cow,  deer,  and  other  game. 

We  arrived  at  Pankalang  Kotah  at  about  two,  P.  M.     This 
village  is  pleasantly  situated  on  rising  ground,  and  was  the  resi- 


HUNTING   IN   THE   INDIAN    ARCHIPELAGO.        429 


dence  of  the  late  Tumungong  of  Moar,  whose  house  still  remains 
surrounded  by  a  pager  of  nibong.  It  has  a  '*  bali-bali/'  or  place 
for  the  natives  to  assemble  and  talk  over  events  within  the  enclo- 
sure, and  the  tenement  itself  is  about  as  good  as  a  native  of  Sin- 
gapore, with  ten  or  twelve  dollars  per  mensem,  would  think  of 
living  in.  The  rest  of  the  houses  or  huts  are  miserable  habita- 
tions, but  quite  good  enough  for  their  owners,  for  of  all  the  lazy, 
good-for-nothing  fellows  I  ever  met  with,  those  at  Pankalang 
Kotah  have  the  pre-eminence  j  even  our  lazy  boatmen  were  aston- 
ished at  their  indolence,  and  remarked  that  elsewhere  the  men 
worked,  but  here  the  women  We  saw  these  poor  drudges 
pounding  rice  and  going  to  the  rirer  for  water,  which  they  car- 
ried in  a  number  of  cocoa-nut  shells  collected  together  with  rat- 
tans, whilst  their  lords  and  masters  walked  about,  the  very 
emblems  of  indolence.  The  Malays  look  lazy  and  harmless,  but 
there  are  some  of  the  most  cut-throat  looking  scoundrels  I  ever 
saw,  Bugis,  who  evidently  rule  the  kampong,  although  nominally 
under  the  chief  of  the  village  and  acting  by  his  direction.  In- 
deed there  does  not  appear  to  be  at  present  any  properly  acknow- 
ledged head.  The  late  Tumungong  died  about  a  year  and  a  half 
ago,  and  since  then  all  has  been  anarchy  and  confusion.  Every 
fellow  who  can  collect  a  few  followers  dubs  himself  Rajah,  and 
exercises  authority  to  the  extent  of  his  power.  "VVe  had  several 
instances  of  this.  The  llajah  at  Pankalang  Kotah  seized  the  salt 
passing  up  the  river  to  the  llajah  at  Segamet,  and  whilst  we  were 
at  anchor  off  Bukit  Kupong,  a  Pahang  trader  in  the  habit  of  visit- 
ing Singapore,  came  on  boai'd  the  boat,  and  said  the  llajah  had 
seized  four  coyans  of  salt  he  was  taking  up  the  river.  We  in- 
quired what  llajah,  and  he  replied,  the  llajah  at  Pagoo.  This  is 
a  place  so  small  that  it  altogether  escaped  our  observation. 
There  may  be  three  or  four  huts  in  the  llaj.  Thus  in  forty  or 
fifty  miles  we  had  three  rajahs  at  least,  and  perhaps  an  aggre- 
gate of  about  thirty  Uhts.  It  is,  therefore,  not  to  be  wondered 
at  that  the  people  are  in  a  miserable  condition,  and  that  the  land 
is  given  up  to  wild  beasts.  The  suspicion  evinced  by  all  whom 
we  hailed  in  their  little  canoes,  rowing  up  and  down  the  river, 


430        HUNTING   IN   THE   INDIAN   ARCHIPELAGO. 


spoke  plainly  of  their  fears,  and  gave  us  the  impression  of  people 
labouring  under  habitual  oppression,  whose  energies  were  para- 
lysed by  the  conviction  that  they  could  not  enjoy  the  fruits  of 
their  labour.  The  consequence  of  this  stoppage  of  salt  is,  that  the 
price  in  the  interior  has  risen  to  eighty  dollars  per  coyan,  the  Sin- 
gapore price  being  ten  dollars.  We  found  the  people  at  Pankalang 
Kotah  most  blustering  talkers,  but  most  slow  to  realize  their 
promises.  At  first  they  could  show  us  any  amount  of  game. 
There  were  herds  of  wild  cows  in  the  vicinity — of  tens,  thirties, 
and  forties — were  we  not  afraid  ?  they  would  take  us  in  amongst 
them,  but  having  done  so  must  run  oif,  as  they  persisted  in  say- 
ing these  animals  invariably  charged,  and  were  the  most  savage 
in  the  jungle.  They  then  tried  to  deter  us  from  going,  by  tell- 
ing us  thirty  men  had  been  eaten  by  tigers.  These  again  were 
said  to  be  unusually  numerous  and  ferocious.  But  all  could  not 
do.  "We  told  them  so  much  the  better ;  all  we  desired  was  to 
see  the  animals,  which  they  promised  faithfully  to  show  us,  if  we 
could  get  up  at  four  in  the  morning.  We  made  no  difficulty  of 
this,  so  at  four  A.  M.,  we  were  up  and  ready,  but  no  guides.  At 
last,  after  waiting  until  past  six,  we  went  on  shore  and  roundly 
taxing  them  with  having  told  us  deliberate  lies,  we  got  one  fel- 
low to  come  with  us,  and  a  precious  entangled  jungle  he  took  us 
through,  showing  us  certainly  where  game  had  been  some  months 
previous,  but  we  could  come  upon  no  previous  tracks.  After 
losing  a  day  to  no  purpose,  we  determined  to  proceed  further  up 
the  river,  and  started  accordingly  in  the  evening. 

The  morning  after  we  left  Pankalang  Kotah  we  found  our  boat 
at  anchor  of  a  rather  better-looking  sort  of  Malaj'  hut,  pictu- 
resquely situated  at  the  bottom  of  a  nice-looking  hill,  and  surroun- 
ded by  fruit  trees.  A  little  old  Malay  came  off  to  us  in  his  boat, 
with  whom  we  immediately  entered  into  conversation,  and  soon  dis- 
covered that  he  was  a  regular  Nimrod,  who  had  waged  war  against 
all  the  denizens  of  the  forest,  and  who  volunteered  to  show  us 
wild  cows  within  forty-eight  hours ;  he  told  us,  however,  what 
we  knew  pretty  well  before,  that  if  we  wanted  sport  it  was  neces- 
sary to  burn  the  lalang  grass  some  two  or  three  weeks  before- 


JUNGLE   FOWL. 


HUNTING   IN   THE   INDIAN    ARCHIPELAGO.        433 


hand,  when  we  would  be  sure  of  finding  herds  of  the  wild  cattle 
feeding  upon  the  young  grass  morning  and  evening.  In  conse- 
quence of  this  not  having  been  done,  we  had  many  a  weary  walk  in 
vain,  and  it  was  not  a  little  tantalizing  to  see  on  every  plain  we  went 
to,  the  whole  place  intersected  with  their  paths,  but  nought  else  but 
tracks  were  to  be  seen.  Judging  from  the  foot-marks,  however, 
the  numbers  of  wild  animals  in  these  jungles  must  be  immense. 
No  spot  where  we  landed  was  free  from  either  the  foot-prints  of 
the  saladang,  elephant,  tiger,  deer,  bear,  or  rhinoceros,  and  often 
the  tracks  of  all  these  were  to  be  seen  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour's 
walk.  We  found  our  little  Malay  friend,  whose  name  "Inchi 
Basow"  I  have  much  pleasure  in  recording  for  the  benefit  of  fu- 
ture sportsmen,  most  active,  intelligent,  and  obliging.  He  beguiled 
us  in  the  evenings  with  stories  of  the  forest,  and  many  an  hair- 
breadth 'scape  he  appears  to  have  had.  The  little  fellow  had 
immense  pluck,  and  appeared  afraid  of  nothing  in  the  shape  of 
a  wild  beast.  His  father  had  been  a  sportsman  before  him,  and 
ended  his  days  in  a  sporting  manner,  having  been  kneaded  into 
a  pancake  by  a  huge  elephant  he  had  the  temerity  to  go  after. 
Inchi  Basow  himself  has  several  times  neai'ly  shared  his  father's 
fate.  On  one  occasion,  whilst  in  a  boat  with  three  others,  he 
fired  at  an  elephant  in  the  river,  who  swam  up  to  the  boat,  and 
with  one  thrust  of  his  tusks  sent  it  to  the  bottom,  Inchi  and  the 
others  narrowly  escaping  by  their  duck-like  powers  of  swimming 
and  diving. 

We  spent  several  days  at  Bukit  Kupong,  making  excursions 
up  and  down  the  river  to  the  various  plains  where  the  deer  and 
wild  cattle  come  out  to  feed.  We  saw  a  good  many  of  the  for- 
mer, but  they  were  very  shy  and  difiicult  of  approach,  not  coming 
out  to  feed  until  nearly  dusk  in  the  evening,  and  returning  to 
the  jungle  at  day-light.  Jungle-fowl  are  tolerably  abundant, 
and  of  these  we  shot  several,  and  could  have  killed  many  more, 
but  were  prevented  firing  for  fear  of  disturbing  the  large  game. 
Pigeons  small  and  large  are  very  plentiful,  and  we  saw  a  variety 
of  birds  of  the  most  brilliant  plumage,  particularly  kingfishers, 
of  which  there  were  very  many  species  of  great  beauty.     Their 

3T 


434        HUNTING   IN   THE   INDIAN    ARCHIPELAjGO. 


colours  sparkled  in  tlie  sun  like  brilliant  gems,  and  were  only 
surpassed  in  their  hues  by  the  butterflies,  -which  were  also.mo&t 
numerous  and  diversified,  and  would  have  yielded  a  rich  harvest 
to  an  entomological  collector.  The  river  is  full  of  fish.  A  man 
with  rod  and  line  might  catch  any  quantity.  With  a  crooked  pin 
and  piece  of  thread  at  the  end  of  a  bamboo,  our  people  caught 
dozens;  indeed,  the  bait  was  no  sooner  in  the  river  than  it  was 
seized,  but  the  extemporaneous  hook  would  not  hold,  so  that  the 
bait  was  taken  off  some  dozen  times  ere  a  fish  could  be  jerked 
out  of  the  water  with  this  primitive  tackle.  The  fish  thus  caught 
very  much  resembled  salmon  fry,  but  there  were  plenty  of  large 
fellows  leaping  in  the  deep  water  at  no  distance  from  us.  Any 
lover  of  the  gentle  art  would  find  full  occupation  for  his  rod  and 
line  in  this  fine  river,  but  who  could  look  after  such  insignificant 
sport  when  the  jungles  around  are  full  of  the  noblest  quarry  that 
sportsmen  ever  went  after  ?  Our  stay  in  this  secluded  spot 
(Bukit  Kupong,)  surrounded  by  primeval  forests,  with  every 
thing  to  reward  the  labours  of  the  naturalist  and  sportsman,  was 
an  agreeable  change  from  the  monotony  of  a  Singapore  life. 
Every  day  we  saw  some  new  bird  or  flower. 

The  Malays  distinctly  described  to  us  two  species  of  wild  cattle 
to  be  found  here,  one  called  Saladang,  the  other  Sapi.  On  the 
20th  my  companions  fell  in  with  a  herd  of  nine  of  the  latter. 
They  got  up  to  within  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards  of  the  herd. 
Each  selected  his  sapi,  fired,  and  all  made  ofi";  one  was  seen  with 
his  leg  broken,  but  in  a  moment  they  disappeared  into  the  jungle, 
instead  of  charging  as  was  expected.  Upon  following  them  up, 
however,  one,  a  fine  young  cow,  was  found  quite  dead,  about 
forty  yards  from  where  the  herd  was  feeding,  struck  through  the 
heart  with  a  rifle  bullet.  Upon  this  discovery,  the  gentlemen 
with  their  attendants  must  have  been  a  treasure  for  Punch,  could 
he  have  seen  them.  They  capered  about,  (I  only  give  their  own 
account  of  the  matter  immediately  after,)  shook  hands,  I  am  not 
sure  if  they  did  not  kiss  each  other,  but  at  all  events  their  joy 
"was  tolerably  exuberant.  The  Shikaris  they  had  with  them  pro- 
posed all  manner  of  observances  for  future   luck ;  first,  it  was 


HUNTING   IN    THE   INDIAN   ARCHIPELAGO.        435 


gravely  propouiulod  that  all  the  guns  should  be  left  on  the  spot 
for  the  night,  but  upoQ  further  deliberation  it  was  deemed  suffi- 
cient to  put  their  muzzles  to  the  wounds,  pass  them  under  the 
animal,  and  anoint  each  of  the  gentlemen  on  the  forehead  with  a 
little  of  the  blood.  Some  other  poojahs  were  gone  tK-ough  to 
prevent  the  tigers  demolishing  the  carcass,  which  was  left  in  the 
jungle,  it  being  night,  minus  the  head  and  tail,  brought  home  in 
triumph  and  displayed  before  the  writer,  who  could  make  but  a 
poor  set-off  against  such  spolia  in  a  very  good  specimen  of  a  jun- 
gle-cock. Next  day  was  devoted  to  the  cutting  up  of  this  splen- 
did beast.  The  following  is  a  description  of  it  made  on  the  spot. 
The  Sapi  has  much  the  general  appearance  of  the  Bali  cattle,  but  has 
not  the  white  patch  on  the  buttocks;  the  horns  are  small,  curved 
inwards,  white  tipped  with  black ;  the  forehead  is  flat,  with  a 
tuft  of  long  hair  on  it,  particularly  on  the  bulls ;  the  back  is 
curved,  the  highest  point  being  about  the  centre  ;  the  spines  of 
the  vertebra  are  unusually  long;  the  total  height  of  the  animal 
killed,  from  hoof  to  spines  of  the  dorsal  vertebra,  was  six  feet 
two  inches ;  the  hair  was  smooth  and  silky,  of  a  brown  colour, 
except  on  the  feet,  which  were  a  dirty  white  ;  a  mane  about  two 
inches  long  ran  the  whole  length  of  the  spine.  There  was  no 
dewlap,  and  the  whole  appearance  of  the  animal  was  decidedly 
game.  The  fibre  of  the  flesh  was  fine,  well  mixed  with  fat,  and 
proved  decidedly  the  most  delicious  meat  for  flavour,  tenderness 
and  juiciness,  that  ever  any  of  us  tasted.  The  only  regret  was 
the  dreadful  waste  of  it,  for  it  having  been  killed  dead  by  the 
ball,  it  could  not  undergo  the  Mahomedan  rite  of  "simbeleh" 
and  therefore  was  "  harum "  to  the  Islamites.  Some  stakes 
from  the  psoc  muscles  will  nevertheless  be  ever  remembered  by 
us  infidels  with  the  most  grateful  and  pleasing  recollections ; 
whether  it  be  our  lot  to  be  feasted  by  aldermen  in  London,  or  to 
enjoy  a  recherche  dinner  upon  Soyer's  best  principles,  I  am  con- 
fident that  the  flavour  of  that  steak  will  rise  triumphant  against 
all  the  science  of  the  ''artiste,"  and  be  for  ever  the  standard  of 
all  excellence  in  our  imaginations.  The  following  dinner  in  the 
jungle  the  day  after  the  sapi's  death,  is  too  important  an  item  to 


436        HUNTING   IN   THE   INDIAN   ARCHIPELAGO. 


be  omitted  in  the  list  of  our  doings.  "We  observe  that  the  bills 
of  fare  are  laid  before  the  public  when  a  great  commander  is 
feted  and  feasted,  and  why  not  those  of  the  great  hunter  ?  not 
that  we  can  claim  title  to  Nirarods  of  the  first  degree,  but  our 
game  was  truly  noble  of  its  kind,  and  needed  nerve  and  skill  to 
follow  and  secure  it;  truly  it  is  mighty  hunting. 

After  a  day  of  more  than  usual  exposure  we  sat  down  to  a 
soup,  the  quintessence  of  the  wild  cow,  followed  by  steaks  which 
I  have  already  feebly  attempted  to  give  some  notion  of.  Then 
came  a  tongue  of  the  sapi  stewed  with  peas,  not  plucked  from 
the  jungle  exactly,  but  out  of  an  hermetically  sealed  tin.  Then 
there  was  a  roast  heart,  and  curry  and  rice  from  the  most  tender 
portions  After  that  roasted  to  a  turn,  and  looking  most  invit- 
ing, a  particularly  fine  jungle  fowl;  but  alas  for  the  limited 
powers  of  man,  we  could  not  get  beyond  the  steaks.  An  impo- 
tent attempt  was  made  at  the  tongue,  a  delicacy  Apicius  might 
have  praised,  but  it  proved  quite  a  failure.  We  could  only 
mourn  our  incapacity  to  do  justice  to  it,  uttering  feebly,  as  we 
sipped  our  Madeira,  "  Suda  Chukop."  Whilst  in  this  pitiable 
state  of  inertia,  a  dish  was  laid  before  ixs,  that  might  truly  have 
raised  an  appetite  under  the  ribs  of  death.  Smoking  hot  marrow 
bones  from  the  sapi !  Never  have  I  laid  eyes  on  such  marrow 
and  fatness.  We  had  plenty  of  potatoes  and  biscuit  to  eat  with 
it,  and  one  of  our  trio  essayed  a  trial ;  the  deliciousness  of  the 
marrow  beguiled  him  into  the  belief  of  his  having  a  corner  left, 
but  he  found  himself  afterwards  much  in  the  condition  of  the  boa 
constrictor  after  he  has  swallowed  an  ox,  and  I  have  my  doubts 
if  the  repletion  would  have  been  recovered  from  under  a  week's 
abstinence,  had  it  not  been  for  some  digesters  fortunately  brought 
with  us,  and  said  to  contain  a  pretty  good  proportion  of  croton 
oil.  So  let  this  be  a  caution  to  all  future  sportsmen  to  take  care 
how  they  venture  on  too  much  sapi  in  a  single  day. 

The  other  species  of  wild  cattle  (the  Saladang)  wc  did  not  see, 
although  we  met  their  tracks  every  day.  The  Malay  guide, 
Inchi  Basow,  told  us  the  meat  was  coarser  than  the  bulTalo,  and 
not  good  eating,  but  the  animal  was  much  larger  than  the  Sapi, 


HUNTING   IN   THE   INDIAN    ARCUIPELAGO.        437 


some  of  the  bulls  growing  to  several  "  astas."  This  is  the 
moderate  height  of  tea  and  a  half  feet.  My  readers  may  be- 
lieve it  or  not  as  they  please.  I  am  rather  sceptical  myself,  and 
only  relate  what  was  told  me  by  a  man  whose  statements  we 
found  correct  so  far  as  we  had  the  opportunity  of  testing  them. 
Besides  the  various  animals  I  have  already  mentioned  as  denizens 
of  the  jungle  here,  there  are  a  variety  of  fine  birds ;  I  saw  one 
morning  a  brace  of  those  magnificent  pheasants  called  the  ma- 
cartney or  euplocomus.  There  were  also  the  argus,  the  crypto- 
nix,  and  a  variety  of  others,  but  our  time  began  to  shorten,  and 
the  plains  not  having  been  burned,  there  was  little  use  of  our 
remaining  longer  with  Inchi  Basow,  who,  poor  fellow,  was  com- 
pletely foot  sore  and  knocked  up  at  Bukit  Kupong.  So  we  de- 
termined to  go  down  the  river,  stay  a  day  at  Grisi  and  another 
at  Sungie  Mati  for  deer,  and  then  return  to  Singapore.  At 
Grisi  two  of  us  agreed  to  take  our  guns  on  shore  with  only  shot 
to  pick  up  a  jungle-fowl  for  dinner.  We  had  not  walked  on 
more  than  ten  minutes  from  the  Malay  hut  at  Grisi  when  one  of 
us  saw  and  shot  a  jungle-cock.  Having  loaded  and  stepped  on 
a  little  further  most  cautiously,  to  get  another  shot  at  a  cock  we 
heard  crow  a  little  in  advance,  we  were  saluted  out  of  a  fern 
brake  with  an  ominous  growl,  which  brought  us  both  to  a  halt. 
The  growl  was  repeated  three  or  four  times,  when,  looking  at 
each  other,  we  determined  on  the  better  part  of  valour,  and  took 
to  our  heels,  laughing  and  looking  back.  We  had  nothing  but 
small  shot  in  our  guns,  so  we  went  to  the  boat,  got  a  supply  of 
ball,  and  returned  to  the  spot,  where  we  had  the  satisfaction  of 
finding  a  tiger  had  just  been,  but  who  had  taken  himself  off, 
leaving  a  very  unpleasing  odour  behind  him,  and  his  prints  most 
unpleasantly  fresh,  considering  that  had  we  gone  on  we  should 
have  been  face  to  face  in  another  minute,  a  predicament  any- 
thing but  pleasant  with  nothing  in  your  gun  larger  than  small 
shot.  We  have  therefore  to  make  honourable  mention  of  this 
praiseworthy  act  on  the  part  of  the  royal  beast  in  giving  us  such 
timely  warning. 
As  I  have  before  mentioned,  it  was  our  intention  to  proceed 

37* 


438        HUNTING   IN    THE   INDIAN   ARCHIPELAGO. 


to  Sungei  Mati  and  beat  the  island  for  deer  ■where  they 
are  said  to  abound,  but  we  were  prevented  by  the  following  inci- 
dent, which  did  not  make  a  bad  wind-up  to  our  trip.  As  we 
were  proceeding  towards  Sungei  Mati,  not  far  from  the  spot  the 
troop  of  elephants  crossed  when  we  were  going  up  the  river,  the 
Malay  boatmen  called  to  us,  giving  us  the  information  that  some 
elephants  were  bathing  in  the  river.  Although  asleep,  it  being 
about  four  o'clock,  A.  M.,  we  were  soon  astir.  The  morning 
had  not  begun  to  break,  and  it  was  still  very  dark,  so  we  could 
see  nothing,  and  so  little  did  I  expect  to  see  any  thing,  I  at  first 
made  no  attempt  to  obtain  my  gun,  for,  when  we  got  on  deck, 
the  noise  and  gabble  of  the  Malay  boatmen  was  sufficient  in  my 
idea,  to  frighten  any  animals,  and  I  fully  believed  that  they 
had  made  ojGF  with  themselves.  Upon  pulling  in  shore,  how- 
ever, we  soon  perceived  a  large  elephant  enjoying  his  morn- 
ing bath,  and  so  little  did  he  seem  to  care  for  us,  he  deliberately 
swam  towards  the  boat.  It  was  an  exciting  moment,  for  the 
great  fear  was  of  his  escape.  As  I  have  said,  there  was  but 
little  light,  but  we  could  see  his  large  body  aud  the  great  nob  on 
the  top  of  his  head  pretty  distinctly.  The  word  was  given, 
"Be  steady  now,"  and  at  about  ten  paces  distance  a  couple  of 
balls  were  put  into  his  head.  With  this,  he  turned  round,  and 
again  he  was  saluted  with  a  couple  more  bullets.  Not  liking 
such  reception  he  made  for  land,  and  got  upon  the  river  bank, 
when  a  well-directed  rifle  shot  hit  him  hard  and  made  him 
scream  with  pain.  But  instead  of  making  off,  as  he  might 
have  done,  the  noble  beast  instantly  came  back  into  the  river  to 
take  vengeance  upon  his  adversaries ;  but  he  was  received  so 
warmly,  that  he  could  never  make  up  his  mind  to  a  regular  on- 
slaught on  the  boat,  and  when  he  turned  and  made  off  we  fol- 
lowed, pouring  in  volley  after  volley  upon  his  devoted  head. 
Finding  the  side  of  the  river  we  first  saw  him  on  rather  too  hot 
to  be  pleasant,  he  made  up  his  mind  to  a  change,  and  across  the 
river  he  went.  Then,  indeed,  he  was  at  our  mercy,  and  we  fol- 
lowed, giving  him  the  contents  of  three  double-barrels,  one  after 
the  other,  in  rapid  succession,  for  by  the  time  the  third  had 


■f ' 


1 

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I— I 

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O 

o 


HUNTING   IX    THE   INDIAN   ARCHIPELAGO.        441 


fired,  number  one  ■was  again  loaded.  All  this  time  we  were 
having  tiirget  practice  at  the  large  bump  on  the  top  of  the  head, 
for  we  could  see  nothing  else  at  about  ten  yards  distance.  Every 
shot  told,  and  the  poor  beast  spouted  water  from  his  proboscis, 
uttering  low  yells  of  dissatisfaction.  But  his  merciless  pursuers 
had  not  pity,  although  when  we  did  reach  the  land,  and  we 
heard  him  at  the  edge  of  the  river  uttering  plaintive  cries,  they 
did  elicit  a  few  words  of  sympathy,  such  as,  ''  Poor  beast,  he  is 
severely  hurt,  do  you  think  he  can  get  away  ?"  When  the  boat 
was  close  to  the  shore,  he  made  one  more  attempt  and  came  back 
into  the  river,  getting  so  close  to  the  boat  as  to  put  us  in  no 
small  jeopardy  from  his  tusks,  but  we  gave  way,  and  repulsed 
him  with  a  regular  broadside;  he  then  took  the  shore  again. 
By  this  time  morning  began  to  break,  and  there  was  light  suffi- 
cient to  see  him  standing  at  the  river's  verge,  tossing  his  trunk 
from  side  to  side,  with  his  head  towards  us.  Two  of  us  caught 
sight  of  him  at  this  moment,  and  saw  the  large  hollow  in  the 
forehead  where  the  animal  is  most  vulnerable.  We  pulled  our 
triggers  simultaneously,  and  when  the  smoke  cleared  away  his 
large  carcass  lay  stretched  on  the  ground  with  the  head  reclining 
in  the  river.  We  soon  boarded  him,  that  is,  so  soon  as  we  could 
convince  the  boatmen  he  was  really  dead,  and  found  him  a  large 
male  with  fine  tusks ;  his  fore-foot  being,  exactly  fifty-four  inches 
round  the  bottom,  which  would  make  his  height  nine  feet.  He 
had  evidently  been  a  belligerent  gentleman,  for  his  body  was 
covered  with  scars  of  old  wounds  received  in  combat,  and  under 
one  of  his  eyes  there  was  an  extensive  recent  wound  given  by 
the  tusk  of  some  larger  and  more  powerful  adversar}'.  The 
Malays  say  that  all  the  males  have  tusks,  and  that  even  the  fe- 
males are  not  altogether  without  them,  so  that  elephant  shooting 
here  would  be  a  more  profitable  amusement  than  in  Ceylon, 
where  the  tuskers  are  few,  and  seldom  to  be  seen.  Having  se- 
cured the  tusks,  which  is  a  more  difficult  matter  than  I  imagined, 
and  took  us  several  hours,  we  determined  to  make  the  best  of 
our  way  to  Singapore,  our  time  being  up.     In  taking  out  tne 


442        HUNTING   IN    THE   INDIAN    ARCHIPELAGO. 


tusks  we  got  seven  of  our  balls,  but  the  brain  was  not  examined, 
neither  the  nob  on  the  top  of  the  head,  which  was  regularly 
riddled  with  balls.  These,  however,  were  of  little  effect,  the  last 
shots  fired  were  the  settlers,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  one  shot 
in  the  right  place  is  quite  sufficient  to  bring  down  the  largest 
elephant  that  ever  wore  tusks. 


ASIATIC  ELEPHANT. 


PliW;i!iiiiiiiiiiili'!l!i^''^; 


TURKISH  officeh  op  state. 


A  WALK  THROUGH  CONSTANTINOPLE. 


Breakfast  over,  I  prepared  to  go  forth  with  the  impiitience 
of  feeling  that  the  world  of  Constantinople  was  all  before  me.  I 
found  a  ready  dragoman  in  the  hall, — another  Demetri,  and  a 
Greek  also,  as  may  be  supposed, — and  with  him  I  started  down 
another  steep  hill  towards  Galata.  This  thoroughfare  was  just 
as  narrow  and  dirty  as  the  former  one ;  but  it  was  bordered  with 
shops  kept  by  Italians,  Greeks,   and  Frenchmen.     There  were 

(443) 


444  A   WALK   THROUGH   CONSTANTINOPLE. 


mauy  English  articles  for  sale, — stockings,  cotton  prints,  cutlery 
and  blacking.  Tn  one  -window  was  a  number  of  Punch,  with  one 
of  Mr.  Leech's  clever  cuts,  attracting  the  puzzled  gaze  of  some  Le- 
vantines; at  a  corner  was  a  sign-board,  with  "  Furnished  Apart- 
ments to  Let"  painted  on  it;  and  on  the  wall  of  a  small  burying 
ground  a  Turk  sat  with  a  tray  of  Birmingham  steel  pens  on 
cards. 

The  number  of  veiled  women,  straggling  and  shuffling  about,  in 
their  large  awkward  yellow  Wellington  boots, — for  I  can  describe 
them  in  no  better  fashion, — first  engaged  my  observation.     The 
greater  portion  of  them  were  clad  in  a  cumbersome  wrapper  or 
ferigee  of  what  appeared  to  be  coarse  brown  serge  entirely  con- 
cealing the  figure.     When  it  was  drawn  up  a  little,  one   could 
see  the  naked  skin  of  the  leg,  just  appearing  above  the  foot;  for 
socks  and  stockings  are  unknown  to  the  inmates  of  the  harems. 
They   thrust  these   odious   boots   iuto   slipshod  slippers  without 
heels  when  they  go  abroad  ;  and   the  difficulty  of  keeping  them 
on  produces  a  most  ungainly  shuffling  in-toed  gait.     The  veil,  or 
(jaslimach,  is  of  one  or  two  pieces.     It  is  now  made  of  such  fine 
material, — a  simple  layer  of  tarlatane  in  most  instances, — that 
the  features  are  perfectly  discernible   through  it ;  and   the  more 
coquettish  beauties  allow  something  more  than  their  eyes  to   be 
seen  where  it  divides.     These  last  features  are  wonderfully  fine 
— dark,    heavy-lashed,    and   almond-shaped ;  and   they  derive  a 
strano-e   force  of  expression   from   their   contrast  with   the   veil. 
Their  brilliancy  is  aided  by  a  dark  powder  introduced  under  the 
lid,  which  blackens  its  edges.     The   women  wear  no  gloves  but 
stain  the  ends  of  their  fingers,  and  palms  of  their  hands,  (as  well 
as,  I  believe,  the    soles  of  their  feet,)  with  a  dye  called  Henna. 
This  tinges   them  a  deep  tawny  red,  and    the  effect  is  most  un- 
seemly, making  them  any  thing   but  the  "rosy-fingered"  beau- 
ties which  some  writers  have  laboured  to  pass  them  off  as.     Thoir 
complexions  are  pallid  and  unhealthy-looking,  which  may  in  some 
measure  result  from  want  of  legitimate  exercise;  and  they  become 
prcn)aturely  aged.     There  is  not,  I  imagine,  a  more  perfect  rep- 
resentation of  a  wiich  to  be  found   than  an    old   Turkish  woman 


A   WALK   THROUGH    CONSTANTINOPLE.  445 


affords,  wlicn  seen  hobbling,  with  a  long  staff,  along  the  dingy 
alleys  of  Constantinople. 

Descending  the  steep  narrow  lane,  we  passed  an  old  gateway 
which  divides  Pera  from  Galata,  and  then  the  road  became  steeper 
and  narrower  still.  But  the  same  busy  throng  kept  slipping  and 
jostling,  and  hurrying  up  and  down  j  although  the  absence  of 
carriages  allowed  an  odd  kind  of  silence  to  prevail, — such  as  has 
struck  one  in  a  great  London  thoroughfare  when  the  pavement 
has  been  taken  up.  Now  and  then,  a  horseman  clattered  and 
stumbled  over  the  rough  pavement,  in  imminent  danger  as  re- 
garded himself,  his  horse,  and  the  foot  passengers  :  and  occasion- 
ally some  mules  increased  the  confusion.  But  every  thing  was 
carried  by  the  hamals — even  the  blocks  of  stone  from  the  port, 
to  be  used  for  the  bu'lulngs  high  above  us ;  and  at  last  I  met 
one  toiling  up  w'th  a  sick  sailor  on  his  back,  going  to  a  hos- 
pital. 

A  few  minutes  brought  us  down  to  the  bridge  of  boats,  lead- 
ing from  Galata  to  Stamboul,  across  the  Golden  Horn,  which  is 
here  scimewhat  over  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  in  breadth.  From  this 
point  one  of  the  most  superb  views  in  Constantinople  is  to  be 
obtained, — more  comprehensive  than  that  from  the  steamer,  a?, 
the  continuation  of  the  port  towards  the  arsenal  is  added  to  the 
range.  Emerging  from  the  close  and  dirty  Galata,  the  bright 
panorama  fairly  takes  one's  breath  away.  The  wondrous  and 
dazzling  confusion  of  minarets,  domes,  towers,  ships,  trees,  ruins, 
kiosks,  and  warehouses  with  the  sparkling  water  below,  more 
intensely  blue  than  the  sky  above,  is  beyond  description.  The 
ever-changing  kaleidoscope,  however,  that  the  bridge  affords,  may 
be  better  dealt  with.  One  has  only  to  lean  against  the  rails  for 
five  minutes,  and  he  will  setf  some  specimen  of  every  known  ori- 
ental race  pass  by  him.  Take  your  place,  with  your  back  to  the 
arsenal,  near  where  the  good-tempered  little  cripple  has  permis- 
sion to  sit  and  ask  for  alms,  (as  the  blind  girl  in  the  large  straw 
hat,  and  the  man  with  the  ragged  vulture,  used  to  do  on  the  Pont 
des  Arts,  at  Paris,)  and  make  all  use  of  your  eyes.  First  observe 
how  the  poor  mannikin  at  your   feet   has  chosen  his  place  care- 

38 


446  A   WALK    THROUGH    CONStANTINOPLE. 


fully.  He  knows  that  some  paras  will  come  in  change  from  the 
toll,  and  he  waits  for  them,  near  the  gate,  before  you  put  them 
in  your  pocket.  At  the  other  end  of  the  bridge  he  would  have 
no  chance  of  this  small  money.  And  now  watch  the  folks  before 
you,  and  let  me  be  the  showman. 

First  of  all  comes  a  person  high  in  command,  upon  horseback. 
He  has  adopted,  in  common  with  his  Sultan,  the  European  dress 
• — the  red  fez  alone  distinguishes  him  from  any  other  foreigner 
you  might  chance  to  meet.  His  servant,  in  Turkish  costume, 
runs  by  his  side,  an(5  can  keep  up  with  him  for  any  distance. 
The  trappings  of  the  horse  are  magnificently  embroidered  with 
tinsel  and  gold,  and  they  carry  your  mind  back  to  the  days  when 
you  saw  the  combat  between  Kerim  and  Sanballat,  in  Timour 
the  Tartar.  The  old  Turk  with  the  mighty  turban,  who  meets 
him,  dislikes  the  European  dress  and  the  simple  fez;  he  foresees, 
in  the  change  from  the  lumbering  costume  of  himself  and  fathers, 
the  spirit  of  advancing  civilization  which  must  shake  the  most 
time-honoured  observances  of  the  Eastern  world,  in  another  age  : 
and  he  knows,  with  sorrow  to  himself,  that  every  paddle-wheel 
which  churns  the  waters  of  the  Bosphorus,  produces,  by  its  revo- 
lutions, others  almost  imperceptible,  but  no  less  certain,  in  his 
social  and  political  state.  He  clings,  however,  to  his  religion 
and  his  Koran ;  tliat  will  always  endure,  for  the  wily  impostor  who 
drew  up  the  Mohammedan  code  so  flattered  the  passions  of  hia 
followers,  that  their  allegiance  was  certain  as  long  as  human  na- 
ture remained  unchanging. 

There  is  loud  musical  female  laughter  now  heard,  and  an  odd 
vehicle  crosses  the  bridge,  drawn  by  a  jaded  horse.  We  have 
no  conveyance  like  it  in  England :  nor  possibly  is  there  its  fellow 
out  of  Turkey.  It  has  no  seats ;  but  on  cushions  in  its  interior 
those  dark-eyed  beauties  are  sitting, — pale  Circassian  girls,  and 
inmates  of  the  harem  of  some  great  man.  The  carriage  halts 
in  front  of  you,  to  allow  a  train  of  mules,  carrying  planks,  to 
pass  on  their  way  to  Pera,  and  you  can  see  the  inmates  plainly. 
One  of  them  stares  fixedly  at  you ;  you  look  again,  and  she  is 
not  angry — a  few  years  ago  you   would  have  been  sent  away 


f 

M 


Vii  V 


i 


A   WALK   THROUGn   CONSTANTINOPLE.  449 


She  only  draws  back,  but  she  still  keeps  her  eyes  on  you — won- 
drous, large-pupilled  eyes,  in  whose  depths  your  own  vision 
api)ears  to  lose  itself.  Then  she  speaks  to  her  companion,  and 
just  as  the  vehicle  moves  on,  they  all  three  join  in  another  burst 
of  ringing  laughter,  and  leave  you  to  debate  whether  an  uncompa- 
nionable beauty — to  say  nothing  of  three — can  be  regarded  as  a 
jewel  of  a  bore  in  a  man's  household.  All  this  time  the  tide  of 
foot  passengers  has  been  flowing  on.  Here  are  some  Turkish 
soldiers ;  untidy  looking  fellows,  in  blue  coats  and  white  trow- 
sers,  still  with  the  rod  fez.  A  cavass,  or  policeman,  is  with 
them.  He  wears  a  surtout,  pistols  are  in  his  belt,  a  sabre  at 
his  side,  and  his  breast  is  ornamented  with  rows  of  cartridges  : 
they  are  all  going  to  take  up  some  unfortunate  wight.  He  is 
followed  by  a  Dervish — one  of  those  who  dance,  on  certain  days, 
at  Pera  :  he  also  keeps  a  shop  in  Stamboul.  The  other  way 
comes  a  group  of  keen  Armenian  merchants,  each  swinging  a 
chaplet  of  beads  about,  or  counting  them  restlessly,  and  half 
unconsciously,  with  his  finger.  This  will  be  a  feature  you  can- 
not fail  to  notice  before  you  have  been  an  hour  in  Constantinople. 
The  Chaplet  or  tesbeh,  contains  ninety-nine  wooden  beads,  divided 
into  three  rows  by  little  oblong  pieces  of  turned  wood.  It  is  used 
in  certain  forms  of  the  Mohammedan  religion  :  but  the  active 
minds  of  the  Armenian  and  Greek  traders  require  something  to 
expend  their  irritability  upon,  and  so  they  all  carry  these  beads, 
constantly  whirling  them  about,  or  rapidly  reckoning  them  up, 
by  twos  and  threes,  all  the  while  they  are  conversing  or 
smoking. 

Amongst  the  crowd  you  see  porters ;  water-carriers,  or  Sakas ; 
cake-men,  or  Locum jees;  native  couriers,  or  Tatars,  who  will 
take  you  for  a  certain  sum,  every  thing  included,  to  Bagdad,  if 
you  please  ;  and,  bending  beneath  their  baskets,  are  grape-sellers, 
with  the  beautiful  fruit  we  have  before  noticed — the  chow-oosh- 
azumc,  as  it  is  pronounced,  and  which  you  should  always  ask 
for.  Now  two  trains  of  mules,  laden  with  firewood  and  barrels, 
have  met,  and  there  is  great  confusion,  which  the  drivers  consi- 
derably increase.     On  the  water  below  there  is  equal  bustle. 

38* 


450  A   WALK   THROUGH    CONSTANTINOPLE. 


The  eighty  thousand  caiques,  said  to  be  plying  about  Constaikil- 
nople,  must  necessarily  get,  at  times,  in  each  other's  way;  and 
our  own  "  bargees,"  would  pale  before  the  riot  and  swearing  that 
begin  when  such  takes  place.  Here  a  heavy  boat,  filled  with 
country  people,  is  going  up  the  Bosphorus :  there  are  two  steam- 
ers lying,  all  ready  to  start  from  the  bridge — one  for  Prince's 
Islands,  and  the  other  for  Buyukdere.  The  dogs  sleep  about 
the  bridge  just  the  same  as  in  the  streets,  and  do  not  move  for 
any  body.  Little  Greek  Children,  taught  to  beg  with  a  winning 
smile  and  courtesy,  instead  of  the  whining  cant  of  our  mendi- 
cants, get  immediately  before  you ;  and  the  distant  appearance 
of  a  camel  or  two  at  the  Stamboul  end  of  the  bridge,  and  a  buf- 
falo drove  at  the  other,  with  the  opposition  mules  still  in  the 
centre,  promises  such  an  awkward  rencontre,  that  our  best  plan  is 
to  get  away  as  soon  as  possible.  But  you  will  often  return  to 
this  Galata  bridge,  and  always  find  amusement  in  watching  its 
ever-changing-objeets. 

]My  guide  took  me  on,  through  the  narrow  crooked  streets  of 
Stamboul — which  are  certainly  a  trifle  cleaner  than  those  of 
Pera — towards  the  chief  bazaar.  He  was  anxious  to  prove  that 
he  was  doing  his  duty ;  and  showed  and  told  me  so  much  that 
my  head  was  soon  in  an  absolute  whirl. 

"  Here's  where  they  cut  the  heads  off","  he  said,  in  somewhat 
more  diificult  English  than  I  care  to  distress  my  readers  with  ; 
''just  here,  where  these  two  streets  meet,  and  the  body  is  left 
here  a  day  or  so,  and  sometimes  the  dogs  get  at  it.  Not  many 
executions  now — only  English  subjects." 

There  was  something  very  startling  in  this  information,  until 
it  was  explained.  By  "  English  subjects,"  he  meant  the  emi- 
grants from  Malta  and  the  Ionian  Islands — natives  of  those 
places,  who  bear  the  worst  characters  of  all  the  graceless  scamps 
forming,  unfortunately,  a  largo  proportion  of  the  Pera  popula- 
tion. There  had  not,  however,  been  an  execution  for  more  than 
a  year,  with  all  the  popular  talk  of  Turkish  scimitars  and  sacks. 

"  All  English  Gentlemen,"  ccyatinucd  Demetri,  "  think  they 
cut  off  heads  every  day  in  Stamboul,  and  put  them,  all  of  a  row, 


A   WALK   TimOUGII    CONSTANTINOPLE.  451 


on  plates  at  the  Seraglio  Gate.  And  they  tbink  people  are  al- 
ways being  drowned  in  the  Bosphorus.  Not  true.  I  know  a 
fellow  who  is  a  dragoman,  and  shows  that  wooden  shoot  which 
eomos  from  the  wall  of  the  Seraglio  point,  as  the  place  they 
slide  them  down.  It  is  only  to  get  rid  of  the  garden  rubbish. 
Same  with  lots  of  other  things." 

Demetri  was  right.  To  be  completely  desillusione  on  certain 
points,  one  has  to  journey  with  a  determination  to  be  aifected 
by  things  as  they  strike  you.  Swiss  girls,  St.  Bernai-d  dogs, 
Portici  fishermen,  the  liliiuc,  Nile  travelling,  and  other  objects 
of  popular  rhapsodies,  fearfully  deteriorate  upon  practical  ac- 
quaintance. Few  tourists  have  the  courage  to  say  that  they  have 
been  "  bored,"  or  at  least  disappointed,  by  some  conventional 
lion.  They  find  that  Guide-books,  Diaries,  Notes,  Journals,  &c. 
&c.,  all  copy  one  from  the  other  in  their  enthusiasm  about  the  same 
things ;  and  they  shrink  from  the  charge  of  vulgarity,  or  lack 
of  mind,  did  they  dare  to  dift'  r.  Artists  and  writers  will  study 
clfect,  rather  than  graphic  Xvw  h.  The  llorid  description  of  some 
modern  book  of  travel  is  as  di.leront  to  the  actual  impressions  (jf 
ninety-nine  people  out  of  a  hundred — allowing  all  ihese  to  pos- 
sess average  education,  perception,  and  intellect — when  painting 
ill  their  minds  the  same  subject,  as  the  aitfully  tinted  lithograph, 
or  the  picturesque  engraving  of  the  portfolio  or  annual,  is  to  the 
f.ithful  photograph. 

The  Han,  or,  as  we  usually  pronounce  it,  Khan,  was  a  stjuure 
surrounded  by  buildings  with  galleries ;  with  other  occupants  it 
could  have  been  easily  converted  into  a  slave-market.  A  vaguo 
notion  of  it  may  be  formed  from  an  old  Borough  inn — one  story 
high,  and  built  of  stone.  There  was,  however,  a  tree  or  two  in 
the  middle,  and  a  fountain  ;  in  the  corner  was  also  an  indifferent 
coffee-house. 

These  places,  of  which  there  are  nearly  two  hundred  in  Con- 
stantinople, have  been  built  from  time  to  time,  by  the  Sultans 
and  wealthy  persons,  for  the  accommodation  of  the  merchants 
arriving,  by  caravan,  from  distant  countries.  No  charge  is  made 
for  their  use  J  but   the   rooms   are  entirely  unfurnished,   so  that 


452  A  WALK   THROUGH    CONSTANTINOPLE. 


the  occupier  must  bring  bis  mattress,  little  carpet,  and  such 
bumble  articles  of  cookery  as  he  may  require,  with  him.  A  key 
of  his  room  is  given  to  him,  and  he  is  at  once  master,  for  the 
time  being,  of  the  apartment.  In  the  Han  I  visited,  the  occu- 
pants were  chiefly  Persians,  in  high  black  sheep-skin  caps, 
squatted,  in  the  full  enjoyment  of  Eastern  indolence,  upon  their 
carpets,  and  smoking  their  narghillas,  or  ''hubble-bubbles." 
Some  of  them  came  from  a  very  great  distance — Samarcand,  and 
the  borders  of  Cabool,  for  instance ;  so  that  their  love  of  repose 
after  the  toil  and  incertitude  of  a  caravan  journey  was  quite 
allowable.  Demctri  next  insisted  that  I  should  see  the  two  vast 
subterraneous  cisterns,  relics  of  great  antiquity.  One  of  these, 
the  roof  of  which  was  supported  by  three  or  four  hundred  pillars, 
is  dry,  and  used  as  a  rope-walk,  or  silk-winding  gallery.  The 
other  has  water  in  it.  You  go  thr  aigh  the  court  of  a  house, 
and  then  descend,  over  rubbish  and  broken  steps,  to  a  cellar, 
from  which  the  reservoir  extends,  ti  itil  lost  in  its  gloomy  im- 
mensity. The  few  bits  of  candle  wh!ch  the  man  lights  to  show 
it  off,  cannot  send  their  rays  very  far  from  the  spectator.  It  is 
more  satisfactory  to  throw  a  stone,  and  hear  it  plash  in  the  dark 
water  at  the  end  of  its  course  with  a  strange  hollow  sound. 
Over  this  mighty  tank  are  the  houses  and  streets  of  Stamboul. 
The  number  of  colunin.«,  which  arc  of  marble,  is  said  to  be  about 
three  hundred  ;  and  the  wat^r,  which  you  are  expected  to  taste, 
is  tolerably  good. 

We  left  the  cistern,  and  traversed  a  few  more  lanes  on  our 
way  to  the  bazaars.  In  these  Eastern  thoroughfares,  narrow  and 
crowded,  one  continually  labours  under  the  impression  of  being 
about  to  turn  into  a  broad  street  or  large  square  from  a  bye- 
way  :  but  this  never  arrives.  A  man  may  walk  for  hours  about 
Constantinople,  and  always  appear  to  be  in  the  back  streets;  al- 
thnijoli,  in  r^'.iliry,  tli  j  mny  be  the  great  arteries  of  the  city. 
Tortuous  and  very  luuuh  aiike,  Stamboul  is  also  one  large  laby- 
rinth, as  regards  its  thoroughfares ;  the  position  of  a  stranger 
left  by  himself  in  the  c^utie  would  be  hopeless. 

Smyrna  had,  in  some   measure,  prepared  me   for  the  general 


jIl  walk  through  constantin-ople.       453 


appearance  of  an  oriental  bazaar ;  but  the  vast  extent  of  these 
markets  at  Constantinople  created  a  still  more  vivid  impression. 
To  say  that  the  covered  row  of  shops  must  altogether  be  miles 
in  length — that  vista  after  vista  opens  upon  the  gaze  of  the  as- 
tonished stranger,  lined  with  the  costliest  productions  of  the 
world,  each  collected  in  its  proper  district — that  one  may  walk 
for  an  hour,  without  going  over  the  same  ground  twice,  amidst 
diamonds,  gold,  and  ivory ;  Cashmere  shawls,  and  Chinese  silks ; 
glittering  arms,  costly  perfumes,  embroidered  slippers,  and  mir- 
rors; rare  brocades,  ermines,  Morocco  leathers,  Persian  nick- 
nacks;  amber  mouth-pieces,  and  jewelled  pipes — that,  looking 
along  the  shortest  avenue,  every  known  tint  and  colour  meets 
the  eye  at  once,  in  the  wares  and  costumes,  and  that  the  noise, 
the  motion,  the  novelty  of  this  strange  spectacle  is  at  first  per- 
fectly bewildering — all  this,  possibly,  gives  the  reader  the  notion 
of  some  kind  of  splendid  mart,  fitted  to  supply  the  wants  of  the 
glittering  personages  who  figure  in  the  Arabian  Nights'  Enter- 
tainments ;  yet  it  can  convey  but  a  poor  idea  of  the  real  interest 
which  such  a  place  calls  forth,  or  the  most  extraordinary  assem- 
blage of  treasures  displayed  there,  amidst  so  much  apparent 
shabbiness.  No  spot  in  the  world — neither  the  Parisian  Boule- 
vards nor  Regent-street — can  boast  of  such  an  accumulation 
of  valuable  wares  from  afar,  as  the  great  bazaar  at  Constanti- 
nople. Hundreds  and  thousands  of  miles  of  rocky  road  and 
sandy  desert  have  been  traversed  by  the  moaning  camels,  who 
have  carried  those  silks  and  precious  stones  from  Persia,  with 
the  caravan.  From  the  wild  regions  of  the  mysterious  central 
Africa,  that  ivory,  so  cunningly  worked,  in  the  next  row,  has 
been  brought,  the  coal-black  people  only  know  how,  until  the 
Nile  floated  it  down  to  Lower  Egypt.  Then  those  soft  Cashmere 
shawls  have  made  a  long  and  treacherous  journey  to  Trebizond, 
whence  the  fleet  barks  of  the  cold  and  stormy  Euxine  at  last 
brought  them  up  the  fairy  Bosphorus  to  the  very  water's  edge  of 
the  city.  From  the  remote,  active  America,  from  sturdy 
England,  from  Cadiz,  Marseilles,  and  all  along  the  glowing 
shores  of  the  Mediterranean,  safely  carried  over  the  dark  and 


454  A   WALK   THROUGH    CONST ANTINOI^E. 


leaping  sea,  by  brave  iron  monsters  that  have  fought  the  winds 
with  their  scalding  breath,  these  wares  have  come,  to  tempt  the 
purchasers,  in  the  pleasant,  calm,  subdued  light  of  the  bazaars 
of  Stamboul. 

I  have  said  that  each  article  has  its  proper  bazaar  assigned  to 
it.  Thus,  there  is  one  row  for  muslins,  another  for  slippers, 
another  for  fezzes,  for  shawls,  for  arms,  for  drugs,  and  so  on. 
Yet  there  is  no  competition  amongst  the  shopkeepers ;  no  strug- 
gling to  out-placard  or  out-advertize  each  other,  as  would  occur 
with  us  in  cool-headed,  feverish,  crafty,  credulous  London.  You 
must  not  expect  them  to  pull  one  thing  down  after  another  for 
you  to  look  at,  until  it  appears  hopeless  to  conceive  that  the 
counter  will  ever  again  be  tidy,  or  every  thing  returned  to  its 
place.  The  merchant  will  show  you  what  you  ask  for,  but  no 
u;ore.  He  imagines  that  when  yon  cnnT?  to  bviy  n*^  bis  store, 
you  had  made  up  your  mind  as  to  what  yiu  watited  ;  and  that 
not  finding  it,  you  will  go  elsewhere,  and  leave  I'.im  to  his  pipe 
again. 

He  knows  how  to  charge,  f  iiough  ;  but  he  is  easily  open  to  con- 
viction that  he  has  asked  too  high  a  price.  For  the  way  of  deal- 
ing with  him  is  as  follows.  Wanting  one  of  the  light  scarfs  with 
the  fringed  ends,  which  supersede  the  uses  of  braces  in  the 
Levant,  I  inquired  the  price  at  a  bazaar  stall.  The  man  told 
me  fifty  piastres  (half  a  sovereign).  I  immediately  ofifered  him 
five-and-twenty.  This  he  did  not  take,  and  I  was  walking  away, 
•when  he  called  me  back,  and  said  I  should  have  it.  I  told  him, 
as  he  had  tried  to  cheat  me,  I  would  not  give  him  more  than 
twenty  now;  upon  which,  without  any  hesitation,  he  said  it  was 
mine.  This  plan  I  afterwards  pursued,  whenever  I  made  a  pur- 
chase at  Constantinople,  and  I  most  generally  found  it  answer. 
My  merry  friend  at  Smyrna  had  given  me  the  first  lesson  in  its 
practicability. 

I  do  not  suppose  that  they  ask  these  high  prices  as  the  French 
do,  because  they  suppose  we  are  made  of  money ;  I  believe,  on 
the  contrary,  that  they  try  to  impose  on  their  own  countrymen 
in  the  same  manner ;  for,  to  judge  from  the  long  haggling  and 


A   SHOr   IN   THE   BAZAAR. 


P.  454. 


A  WALK  THROUGH   CONSTANTINOPLE.  455 


solemn  argument  which  takes  place  when  they  buy  of  each 
other,  the  same  wide  Jifference  of  opinion  as  to  a  fair  value  exists 
between  the  purchaser  and  vendor,  under   every  circumstance. 

There  is  a  common  failing  with  tourists,  of  wishing  to  buy 
every  thing  in  the  way  of  souvenirs  of  a  place,  as  soon  as  they 
arrive  ;  instead  of  waiting  to  see  which  is  the  most  advantageous 
market.  In  this  mood,  I  thought  it  proper  to  lay  in  a  stock  of 
otto  of  roses  immediately ;  and  we  went  to  the  most  famous 
merchant  of  the  bazaar  for  this  purpose.  We  were  asked  into  a 
small  back  room,  in  which  were  soft  cushions  to  sit  upon ; 
and  the  attendant  directly  filled  a  pipe  for  each  of  us,  and 
brought  some  coffee,  in  tiny  cups  placed  in  a  little  metal  stand, 
the  size  of  an  egg-cup.  The  pipe-sticks  were  of  cherry-wood, 
and  very  long  :  where  the  red  bowl  rested  on  the  matting,  a 
neat  little  brass  tray  was  placed  ;  and  a  small  charcoal  fire-place 
in  the  corner,  on  which  the  coffee  was  made,  supplied  the  braise 
to  light  the  latakia. 

I  was  very  much  disappointed  with  the  Turkish  coffee,  of 
which  we  hear  so  much  in  England  :  -it  is  not  to  be  mentioned 
in  the  same  breath  with  that  of  the  Estaminet  Hollandais,  in 
the  Palais  Royal,  or  any  other  good  Parisian  house.  The  coffee, 
in  this  instance,  was  bruised  rather  than  ground,  made  very 
strong,  sweetened,  and  then  poured  out,  grouts  and  all,  into  the 
little  cups.  When  it  had  settled,  it  was  carefully  sipped,  and 
the  grounds  filled  up  above  a  third  of  the  cup. 

There  was  much  to  look  at  in  our  merchant's  shop.  Apart 
from  his  perfumes,  he  dealt  in  Damascus  arms,  tiger  skins,  and 
Persian  curiosities — these  latter  being  chiefly  portfolios,  looking- 
glasses,  and  oblong  cases,  which  my  lady  friends  at  home  have 
pronounced  to  make  admirable  knitting-boxes.  They  were  all 
painted  with  representations  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  hunting, 
making  love,  and  walking  about  in  fine  gardens.  The  ladies  ap- 
peared all  of  one  family,  with  marvellously  dark  almond-shaped 
eyes ;  and  the  gentlemen  had  long  dark  beards,  that  a  French 
sapeur  might  have  hoped  in  vain  to  have  equalled.  Every  thing, 
however,  was  outrageously  dear. 


456  A   AYALK   THROUGH    CONSTANTINOPLE. 


The  otto  was  poured  into  the  little  gilded  bottles  we  are  fami« 
li&r  with  ;  and  in  each  of  their  slender  channels  a  little  balloon 
of  air  was  left  that  the  purchaser  might  see  he  was  not  cheated, 
by  floating  it  up  and  down.  There  are  different  kinds  of  otto. 
The  cheapest  is  exceedingly  nasty,  and  leaves  a  scent  behind  it 
something  between  turpentine  and  peppermint ;  it  is  as  bad  in  its 
way  as  Boulogne  eau-de-Cologne.  The  best  costs  about  sixteen 
pence  a  bottle.  This  is  the  purest  essential  .oil  of  the  rose,  and 
will  impart  its  scent  to  a  casket  or  drawer  for  years,  even  through 
the  piece  of  bladder  tied  over  it. 

The  shop-keepers  come  to  the  bazaar  in  the  morning,  and  leave 
it  at  night,  when  it  is  shut  up.  Tlicy  take  their  meals  there, 
however.  One,  a  shawl-merchant,  was  making  a  light  dinner 
upon  grapes  and  bulls'-eyes ;  another  had  bread  and  dates  ;  and 
many  had  little  portions  of  minced  meats  done  in  leaves,  from 
the  cook-shops.  Of  a  coarser  kind  were  the  refreshments  carried 
about  by  men  on  round  trays.  These  were  chiefly  cold  pancakes, 
chesnuts  of  poor  flavour,  rings  of  cake-bread,  fruits,  and  sweet- 
meats. Of  these  last,  the  .rah-hak-la-coom  (I  spell  it  as  pro- 
nounced) is  the  most  popular.  It  is  made,  I  was  told,  of  honey, 
rice,  and  almonds,  and  flavoured  with  otto  in  an  extremely  deli- 
cate manner.     Its  meaning  is,  "  giving  repose  to  the  throat." 

The  bazaars  are  perfect  thoroughfares  for  horses  and  car- 
riages, as  well  as  for  foot-passengers ;  and  as  there  is  no  divi- 
sion in  the  narrow  row  between  road  and  footway,  one  must  alwa}^ 
be  on  his  guard.  Now,  a  man  of  importance,  with  his  servant 
running  at  his  stirrup,  will  come  by ;  now,  one  of  the  lumber- 
ing carriages  filled  with  women.  And  indeed  these  latter  form 
the  principal  class  of  customers.  Early  in  the  day  they  crowd 
to  the  finery  shops,  and  there  you  will  see  them  having  every 
thing  unrolled,  whether  they  want  it  or  not,  comparing,  haggling, 
and  debating,  exactly  as  our  own  ladies  would  do  at  any  enor- 
mous sacrifice  that  "  must  be  cleared"  in  a  few  days.  Some- 
times, by  great  good  chance,  you  may  see  a  taper  ankle  ana 
small  white  naked  foot  displayed  at  the  shoe- shop ;  but  under 
such  circumstances  you  must  not  appear  to  be  looking  on,  or 


TURKISH  WOMEN. 


39 


A  WALK   THROUGH   CONSTANTINOPLE.  459 


the  merchant  may  address  some  observation  to  you  very  uncom- 
plimentary to  the  female  branches  of  your  family,  and  singu- 
larly forcible  to  be  uttered  before  his  lady  customers.  Of  verbal 
delicacy,  however,  the  Turkish  women  have  not  the  slightest 
notion. 

The  walk  back  to  Pera,  through  Galata  and  up  the  steep  rugged 
lane,  was  very  tiring,  yet  the  constant  novelty  still  made  me  for- 
get fatigue.  At  the  scrap  of  burying  ground  on  the  hill,  which, 
like  many  of  the  other  cemeteries,  lies  in  the  most  thickly  crowded 
quarters  of  the  city,  like  the  London  graveyards, — I  stopped 
awhile  for  a  cup  of  sherbet  from  one  of  the  venders  of  that  drink, 
which  is  precisely  the  cherryade  of  our  evening  parties,  into 
which  a  lump  of  compressed  snow  is  put.  Looking  at  the 
burial-ground,  I  thought  that  very  little  respect  appeared  to  be 
paid  to  the  dead.  It  was  not  enclosed ;  dogs  were  sleeping  about, 
and  cocks  and  hens  scratching  up  a  miserable  living  from  the 
ground.  The  gravestones  were  all  out  of  the  perpendicular,  and 
some  had  been  tumbled  down  completely.  Here  and  there  the 
stone  turbans  which  had  been  knocked  from  the  tombs  of  the 
janissaries  were  yet  lying;  and  on  that  part  that  bordered  the 
street  they  had  put  old  boxes,  crates,  tubs,  cheap  goods  for  sale, 
and  lastly  the  fire-engine,  about  which,  and  the  dancing  dervish 
who  was  sitting  near  it  opposite  his  convent,  I  shall  have  some- 
thing to  say  further  on.  Just  beyond  the  burying- ground  I  went 
into  a  French  hair-dresser's  for  some  trifles  for  the  toilet.  He 
was  a  smart  active  fellow,  and  a  Parisian — apparently  doing  a 
good  business  in  his  way,  but  hating  the  Turks  and  their  country 
intensely.  He  told  me,  amongst  much  Pera  scandal,  that  he 
once  had  an  intrigue  with  a  Turkish  woman — a  very  dangerous 
game  in  this  country — and  that  her  relations  became  aware  that 
she  was  under  his  roof.  They  had  it  surrounded  by  a  cordon 
of  police,  and  he  was  ultimately  obliged  to  break  through  the 
wall  into  the  next  house,  by  which  means  she  escaped,  with  the 
connivance  of  the  neighbours.  He  added,  that  the  whole  of  the 
story  was  in  Galujnani's  Messenger  at  the  time;  and  upon  in- 
quiry afterwards  in  Pera,  I  found  that  it  was  all  entirely  true, 


460  A   WALK    THROUGH    CONST ANTINOPLE. 


for  the  affair  had  made  some  noise  at  the  time ;  and  brought  no 
small  custom  to  the  shop  of  the  gallant  coiffeur. 

We  had  a  large  party  at  the  tahle-d' libte  when  we  got  back  to 
the  hotel,  at  dinner-time;  and,  for  aught  that  there  was  different 
in  the  company  or  cooking,  one  might  just  as  well  have  been  in 
France.  Somewhat  tired,  I  was  not  sorry  to  get  to  bed  about 
eight,  but  sleep  was  not  just  yet  permitted,  for  a  quantity  of  per- 
sons connected  with  the  various  steamers  were  having  a  private 
dinner  in  the  next  room,  and  were  becoming  so  very  convivial, 
that  slumber  was  out  of  the  question.  So  I  sat  awhile  at  the 
window,  looking  at  the  moon  on  the  Bosphorus  and  Golden  Horn, 
and  hearing  my  festive  neighbours  go  through  all  the  stages  of  a 
man's  dinner-party — first,  proposing  toasts,  then  speaking,  then 
singing,  then  doing  funny  things,  then  singing  without  being 
listened  to,  then  in  chorus  without  knowing  the  tune,  and  finally 
differing  in  opinion  and  breaking  up. 

The  lights  in  Stamboul  disappeared,  one  after  another, — for 
there  are  no  public  lamps  to  make  mention  of, — and  the  whole 
of  the  city  was  soon  as  quiet  as  a  country  village,  the  silence  be- 
ing only  broken  by  the  clang  of  the  night-wafechman's  iron-shod 
staff,  as  he  made  it  ring  against  the  pavement,  from  time  to  time, 
to  proclaim  his  approach.  On  retiring  to  bed,  1  carried  with  me 
the  feeling  of  still  being  on  the  sea,  and  so  appeared  to  be  undu- 
lating gently,  with  a  sensation  far  more  disagreeable  than  the 
reality.  I  was  restless,  too,  with  the  recollection  of  my  day's 
sights,  and  after  an  hour's  doze,  I  woke  up  again,  and  went  and 
sat  by  the  window.     The  noise  1  then  heard  I  shall  never  forget. 

To  say  that  if  all  the  sheep-dogs  going  to  Smithfield  on  a  mar- 
ket day  had  been  kept  on  the  constant  bark,  and  pitted  against 
the  yelping  curs  upon  all  the  carts  in  London,  they  could  have 
given  any  idea  of  the  canine  uproar  that  now  first  astonished  me, 
would  be  to  make  the  feeblest  images.  The  whole  city  rang  with 
one  vast  riot.  Down  below  me  at  Tophane — over  at  Stamboul — 
far  away  at  Scutari — the  whole  eighty  thousand  dogs  that  are 
said  to  overrun  Constantinople,  appeared  engaged  in  the  most 
active  extermination  of  each  other,  without  a  moment's  cessation. 


A    WALK    THROUGH    CONSTANTINOPLE. 


461 


The  yelping,  howling,  barking,  growling,  and  snarling,  were  all 
merged  into  one  uniform  and  continuous  even  sound,  as  the  noise 
of  frogs  becomes  when  heard  at  a  distance.  For  hours  there  was 
no  lull.  I  went  to  sleep,  and  woke  again ;  and  still  with  my 
windows  open,  I  heard  the  same  tumult  going  on :  nor  was  it  until 
daybreak,  that  any  thing  like  tranquillity  was  restored.  In 
spite  of  my  early  instruction,  that  dogs  delight  to  bark  and  bite, 
and  should  be  allowed  to  do  so,  it  being  their  nature,  I  could 
not  help  wishing  that,  for  a  short  season,  the  power  was  vested 
in  me  to  carry  out  the  most  palpable  service  for  which  brickbats 
and  the  Bosphorus  could  be  made  conjointly  available. 


CONSTANTINOPLE. 

39* 


THE    JEWS    OF    EGYPT. 


Egypt  has  always  been  a  disagreeable  dwelling-place  for  the 
Jews.  In  no  Eastern  country  have  they  been  so  ill-treated  and 
oppressed.  With  the  tenacious  energy  of  their  race,  however, 
they  have  clung  to  this  land  of  task-masters,  and,  in  spite  of 
every  discouragement,  have  managed  to  maintain  their  ground  in 
respectable  numbers.  Some  five  or  sis  thousand  of  them  are  to 
be  found  congregated  in  Cairo  and  Alexandria,  where  from  the 
presence  of  the  government,  they  are  less  liable  to  be  annoyed 
by  the  populace.  It  is  rare  to  meet  with  them  in  country  towns, 
although  a  few  are  established  both  at  Rosetta  and  Damietta.  In 
Cairo — their  chief  resort — they  occupy  a  particular  quarter, 
which  bears  their  name,  and  is  considered  one  of  the  most  curious 
and  characteristic  in  the  whole  city.  It  constitutes  a  perfect  la- 
byrinth of  narrow  passages,  sometimes  dignified  with  the  name 
of  streets.  To  obtain  the  best  idea  of  its  aspect,  you  must,  on 
leaving  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Khal  Khaleeleh  to  return  to- 
wards the  Mooski,  keep  a  little  to  the  right,  instead  of  making 
for  the  new  street  to  the  Citadel.  You  will  thus  soon  find  your- 
self making  all  sorts  of  turns  at  right  angles;  and  presently, 
after  traversing  a  batch  of  ruined  houses,  you  will  see  before  you 
an  alley  having  the  most  cut-throat  appearance  imaginable,  into 
which  it  is  necessary,  for  prudential  reasons,  to  urge  your  donkey 
at  reduced  speed.  The  walls  of  the  houses  on  each  hand  are 
rarely  more  than  three  feet  apart,  which  circumstance  wouid  of 
itself  almost  account  for  the  obscurity  that  prevails.  In  addi- 
tion, moreover,  you  must  know  that  every  front  is  covered  with 
a  multiplicity  of  projecting  windows,  which  sometimes  touch  the 
opposite  wall,  so  that  it  is  only  here  and  there  that  a  few  scanty 
(462) 


THE  JEWS   OF   EGYPT.  463 


gleams  of  light  penetrate  to  the  regions  below.  The  street  I 
allude  to  is  unusually  straight,  so  that  you  can  see  at  intervals 
these  little  patches  of  dim  light  receding  until  the  last  is  a  mere 
point.  If  there  be  any  body  moving  along,  you  know  the  fact 
simply  by  finding  your  view  intercepted,  for  it  is  impossible  to 
distinguish  any  form.  Some  boldness  is  required  in  a  perfect 
stranger  to  venture  alone  into  this  cavernous  aperture.  How- 
ever, pride  gets  the  upper  hand,  and  in  we  go. 

The  air  becomes  at  once  cold  and  damp,  and  the  eyes,  at  first 
unaccustomed  to  the  darkness,  are  of  no  assistance.  You  must 
trust  to  the  sagacity  of  the  donkey,  for  the  little  boy  behind  is 
a  mere  instrument  of  impulsion.  Presently,  however,  you  begin 
to  distinguish  that  the  walls  on  either  hand  are  built  of  massive 
stone,  but  that  they  liave  begun  to  give  way  and  lean  forward, 
and  exhibit  eiiornKuis  cracks  and  crevices.  The  doors  are  low, 
and  in  general  carefully  closed.  If  they  be  ajar,  you  can  only 
see  a  sombre  pa.ssago,  with  perhaps  a  little  pale  light  coming 
round  a  corner;  for  it  is  a  rule  in  all  Eastern  domestic  architec- 
ture to  make  the  entrance-corridor  ;)f  a  house  to  turn  off  at  rii'ht 
angles,  in  order  to  prevent  the  eye  of  a  stranger  from  penetra- 
ting into  till'  court,  and  ol)t:iiiiing  by  chance  a  glimpse  of  the 
harem.  Her;;  and  tlicTo  dark  alleys,  or  rather  crevices,  branch 
oif,  in  which,  though  rarely,  you  may  see  a  few  indistinct  forms 
of  women  and  cliildren  flitting  up  and  down  ;  but  there  is 
nothing  to  tell  3'ou  that  you  are  traversing  a  quarter  remarkable 
for  its  riches  ;  tiiat  witliin  these  gloomy,  prison-like  mansions 
there  are  courts  full  of  \\''\\t  and  sunshine,  adorned  with  foun- 
tains  and  crft'ping  plants  ;  and  that  Israelitisii  taste  has  fitted  up 
many  of  the  apartments  in  liie  most  .sumptuous  style.  This  you 
can  only  learn  when  a  greater  familiarity  with  the  country 
enables  you  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  some  shabby-looking 
Jew,  who,  if  you  please  him,  may  take  you  home  and  treat  you 
like  a  prince.  As  you  ride  along,  you  imagine  you  ai-e  in  a 
quarter  smitten  with  poverty  and  distress  ;  and,  not  knowing  the 
internal  arrangements  of  the  houses,  imagine  it  next  to  impossi- 
ble that  human  beings  can  exist  in  such  an  unventilated  mass  of 


464  THE   JEWS   OF   EGYPT. 


buildings.  Now  and  then  you  are  disturbed  in  your  reflections 
Dy  a  distant  hail,  informing  you  that  some  other  bold  charac- 
ter is 

Sounding  on  his  dark  and  perilous  way 
through  the  Jewish  quarter.  This  is  a  warning  not  to  be  disre- 
garded. It  is  necessary  at  once,  if  you  wish  to  avoid  a  collision, 
to  find  a  place  where  the  passage  is  a  little  wider  than  elsewhere, 
and  draw  your  donkey  close,  up  against  the  wall,  in  order  to  allow 
the  new-comer  to  squeeze  by.  Under  the  most  favourable  circum- 
stances, knees  and  stirrups  often  get  entangled  during  this  ope- 
ration, and  sometimes  abrasions  and  bruises  take  place.  In  a 
crowded  street  in  Europe  it  is  not  uncommon  for  two  people  in 
a  hurry  to  meet  face  to  face,  and  dance  from  side  to  side  in  the 
utmost  distress  and  confusion  before  they  manage  to  pass  by  one 
another.  In  the  Jewish  quarter  of  Cairo  a  scene  similar  in  cha- 
racter may  often  be  witnessed.  If  both  wayfarers  hail  at  the 
same  time,  each  selects  at  once  a  place  of  refuge,  and  comes  to 
a  full  stop,  and  each  generally  begins  to  move  again  at  the  same 
time ;  so  that  it  is  necessary  at  length  to  scream  out  at  the  top 
of  one's  voice,  and  hold  a  long  parley,  before  a  proper  under- 
standing is  come  to.  Occasionally,  in  passing  through  these 
unknown  places,  you  stumble  upon  a  woman  in  the  darkest  and 
narrowest  spot.  Instead  of  running  on,  they  always  halt,  and 
try,  as  it  were,  to  squeeze  into  the  wall.  As  you  cannot  turn 
round  and  go  back,  you  must  force  past,  driving  your  knees 
sometimes  into  the  poor  creature's  side,  however  much  you  may 
feel  inclined  to  do  otherwise.  They  often  implore  your  forbear- 
ance by  communicating  some  particulars  as  to  their  state ;  and 
I  used  not  unfrequeutly  to  manage  to  cross  my  legs  over  the 
donkey's  neck,  in  order  to  avoid  doing  damage. 

In  some  places  the  thoroughfares,  which  are  by  courtesy  called 
etreets,  are  low,  covered  passages,  more  resembling  sewers  in  ap- 
pearance than  any  thing  else.  Into  these,  I  suppose,  few  Euro- 
peans ever  penetrate.  I  once  got  off  my  donkey  and  crept  in,  in 
a  stooping  posture.  After  one  or  two  turns,  I  came  to  a  small, 
open  space,  where  a  number  of  Jewesses  of  the  poorer  class  wero 


THE   JEWS   OF    EGYPT.  465 


squatting  togctlicr,  assisting  one  another  in  the  duties  of  the  toi- 
let, or,  iu  other  words,  making  a  reciprocal  examination  of  heads ! 
A  great  scream  told  me  that  my  intrusion  was  considered  imper- 
tinent; so,  for  fear  of  consequences,  I  took  to  ray  heels,  and 
escaped  with  no  other  disaster  than  a  bruise  on  my  forehead, 
which  I  owed  to  my  prudent  precipitation. 

The  business  portions  of  this  quarter  are  much  more  airy  and 
respectable  in  appearance ;  but  of  course  the  Jews  engaged  in 
trade  do  not  all  congregate.  Their  shops  are  dispersed  in  various 
parts  of  the  city.  The  occupations  they  especially  follow  are 
those  of  merchants,  bankers,  money-lenders,  money-changers, 
jewellers,  goldsmiths,  provision-dealers,  butchers,  &c.  In  most 
mercantile  houses  in  Egypt  there  is  a  Jew  employed  to  conduct 
the  small  money  transactions.  Despite  the  bad  estimation  in 
which  they  arc  held  both  among  Moslems  and  Christians,  they 
are  rather  honest  than  otherwise,  quite  as  much  so  at  least  as  the 
classes  which  despise  and  anathematize  them.  They  return  the 
hatred  awarded  them  with  interest,  and  seem  really  to  consider 
themselves  as  a  race  infinitely  superior  in  all  the  attributes  of 
humanity  to  those  around  them. 

In  personal  appearance  the  Jews  of  Egypt  are  not  prepossess- 
ing. Their  features,  it  is  true,  are  often  finely  formed;  but  they 
are  a  down-looking,  gloomy  tribe,  as  might  be  expected  from 
the  treatment  they  have  so  long  experienced.  Many  of  them 
are  fairer  than  the  rest  of  the  population,  which  may  be  accounted 
for  by  their  Syrian  origin.  It  has  been  remarked  that  they  are 
frequently  bloated  in  appearance,  and  are  liable  to  sore  eyes ; 
and  some  attribute  the  circumstance  to  the  immoderate  use  of 
sesame  oil.  Whether  this  be  the  case  or  not,  certain  it  is  that 
this  peculiarity  in  their  cookery  gives  their  persons  a  very  un- 
pleasant odour,  so  that  you  may  know  a  Jew  in  the  dark.  I 
ought  to  add,  that  almost  all  the  Eastern  Jews  I  have  seen  are 
very  difi'erent  in  the  type  of  their  features  from  those  of  Europe; 
and  that  I  do  not  remember  the  real  Hebrew  nose  more  than 
once — namely,  on  the  face  of  a  young  money-changer  in  Alexan- 
dria, whose  father  rejoiced  in  a  regular  pug.     The  women,  on  tho 


4C6  THE  JEAYS  OF   EGYPT. 


«^ 


other  hand,  in  as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  ascertain,  preserve  a 
very  characteristic  caste  of  countenance.  They  are  often  hand- 
some and  well  made.  Their  mode  of  life  and  character  resem- 
bles that  of  the  Levantines,  between  whom  and  them,  however, 
there  exists  an  insuperable  antipathy.  I  knew  an  Almek  woman 
of  this  race,  named  Kalah,  who  gained  her  living  by  singing. 
She  had  a  very  fine  voice,  so  that,  although  she  had  but  one  eye, 
was  old,  and  had  never  been  handsome,  she  was  quite  in  vogue. 
As  is  commonly  the  case  now,  however,  she  found  it  necessary 
to  add  a  knowledge  of  dancing  to  her  accomplishments ;  and  I 
have  often  beheld  her  with  wonder  and  regret  perform  feats  of 
agility  of  which  I  could  not  previously  believe  the  human  body 
capable.  But  Kalah' s  favourite  occupation  was  singing  :  and 
when  she  called,  in  passing,  at  the  house  where  I  resided,  to  ask 
for  a  drink  of  water,  she  would  often,  of  her  own  accord,  take 
up  a  darahulcah,  or  tambourine,  and  sing  a  snatch  of  some 
one  of  those  tender  love-songs  with  which  the  Arabic  language 
abounds. 

It  is  the  custom  for  the  Jews  in  Egypt  to  celebrate  very 
strictly  the  Feast  of  the  Tabernacle.  During  eight  days  they 
forsake  their  rooms,  and  sleep  in  little  cabins  made  of  palm-leaves 
on  the  terraces  of  their  houses.  (Is  this  the  reason  why  ophthal- 
mia is  frequent  among  them  ?)  Those  who  have  no  convenient 
place  for  so  doing  are  invited  by  their  friends,  so  that  on  this  oc- 
casion the  roofs  of  the  Jewish  quarters  are  covered  with  a  regu- 
lar encampment.  The  streets  previously  are  absolutely  filled 
with  camels  laden  with  palm-branches,  which  fetch  a  handsome 
price,  for  there  is  an  eager  demand  for  them.  The  Levantines 
used  to  tell  me  that  on  the  first  day  of  this  festival  the  Jews  go 
to  the  priest,  and  ask  if  it  will  be  a  good  year.  He  oracularly 
and  gutturally  answers,  "  Ch — ."  If  the  year  be  good,  he  says, 
"  Did  I  not  tell  you  ch — ?"  meaning  (cheir)  good.  But  if  it  be 
a  bad  year,  he  says,  "Did  I  not  tell  you  cli — ?"  meaning  (cliara) 
bad. 

This  reminds  me  that  a  few  years  ago,  when  there  was  a  great 
drought  in  Egypt,  the  inundation  of  the  Nile  being  unusually 


THE   JEWS   OF   EGYPT.  467 


delayed,  it  struck  the  pasha  tha?  it  would  be  wise  to  apply  to  all 
the  religious  sects  in  his  dominions  for  their  intercessions  with 
Heaven.  So  all  the  heads  of  the  Moslems,  with  all  the  Chris- 
tian priests,  and  all  the  Jewish  llabbins,  followed  by  their  con- 
gregations, went  down  to  the  brink  of  the  water  to  pray.  A  good 
deal  of  bigotry  was  exhibited  on  the  occasion,  and  it  was  at- 
tempted to  exclude  the  Jews;  but  the  pasha,  who  was  never  very 
orthodox,  wisely  determined  that  he  would  not  throw  away  a  sin- 
gle chance,  as  the  safety  of  the  whole  crops  of  the  country  de- 
pended on  the  result.  He  had  reason  to  be  amply  satisfied ;  for 
the  Nile,  in  reality,  rose  two  palms  the  next  night,  and  continued 
rapidly  rising  until  there  was  a  very  good  inundation. 

Of  late  years,  the  treatment  of  the  Jews  in  Egypt  has  been 
gradually  becoming  better  and  better.  It  was  not,  however, 
until  during  the  early  part  of  my  stay  in  the  country,  in  the  year 
184G,  that  toleration  was  extended  to  them  sufficiently  to  allow 
of  their  burying  their  dead  by  day.  It  was  only  by  moonlight 
that  they  could  hurry  the  remains  of  their  departed  friends 
stealthily  to  the  grave.  No  law,  it  is  true  forced  them  to  this, 
but  only  the  bigotry  of  the  population.  On  the  few  occasions 
when  they  ventured  to  face  the  daylight,  Moslems,  Greeks,  and 
Levantines  used  to  pelt  the  bier  and  its  bearers  with  stones  and 
rubbish,  and  often  to  proceed  to  the  most  abominable  excesses. 
No  one  ever  felt  ashamed  of  such  acts ;  but,  on  the  contrary, 
they  were  considered  meritorious;  for  there  is  no  object  on  earth 
which  is  regarded  in  the  East  as  beneath  a  descendant  of  Abra- 
ham. This  may  be  understood  from  the  progression  of  their 
terms  of  abuse — "  ass,  bull,  dog,  pig,  Jew !" 

Such  was  the  state  of  public  opinion  when  the  death  of  Mer- 
cado  el  Ghazi,  the  grand  rabbin,  happened.  This  was  thought 
by  the  Jewish  community  to  be  a  good  opportunity  for  taking 
advantage  of  the  growing  toleration  of  the  government;  Mo- 
hammed Ali  was  absent  from  the  country  on  his  celebrated  visit 
to  Constantinople ;  but  Ibrahim  Pasha  was  at  Cairo,  and  to  him 
application  was  made  for  two  guards.  The  Sirasker  had  just  re- 
turned from  Europe,  very  little  improved,  it  is  true,  but  with 


468 


THE   JEWS   OF   EGYPT. 


some  desire  to  merit  the  approbation  of  the  civilized  world.  This 
was  a  capital  opportunity,  because  it  enabled  hira  to  carry  out  at 
the  same  time  his  favourite  system  of  intimidating  and  overawing 
the  people  who  were  destined  by  fate,  treaty,  and  the  right  of 
the  strongest,  to  be  his  most  dutiful  subjects.  So  he  replied, 
"  Two  guards  ! — you  ask  only  for  two  !  I  will  send  my  own 
carriage,  thirty  cawasses,  and  a  battalion  of  infantry ;  the  shops 
on  the  whole  line  of  procession  shall  be  closed ;  and  woe  be  to 
the  man  who  lifts  a  stone  that  day  !"  What  was  said  was  done ; 
the  people  murmured,  but  remained  tranquil,  and  a  bright  ex- 
ample of  toleration  was  manifested.  It  is  worth  knowing  that 
the  greater  part  of  the  improvement  which  has  taken  place  in 
the  conduct  of  Egyptians  to  foreigners  and  infidels  is  entirely 
attributable  to  similar  exertions  of  supreme  power ;  but  it  is  a 
gross  mistake  to  suppose  that,  in  as  far  as  the  government  is 
concerned,  any  thing  has  been  done  to  soften  the  rancour  of  Mos- 
lem prejudice.  Toleration  is  not  to  be  instilled  into  a  people  by 
force;  and  I  doubt  whether  the  good  that  might  have  been 
done  by  increased  intercourse  with  Europe,  has  not  been  more 
than  counterbalanced  by  the  envy  and  indignation  excited  by 
the  marked  favour  with  which  they  are  treated,  and  the  privi- 
leges and  immunities  they  enjoy. 


!5 
o 
o 

[2; 
o 

W 


A  VISIT  TO  BOMBAY. 

We  left  Aden  on  the  28th  of  July  last,  and  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  passage,  up  to  the  4th  of  July,  wc  had  favourable 
weather,  the  monsoon  accompanjdng  us  and  driving  us  along 
under  reefed  fore-sail  and  half  steam,  at  the  rate  of  about  eight 
knots  an  hour,  a  ti-emendous  sea  following  us. 

Our  ship  was  long  and  low,  and  rolled  heavily,  having  in  our 
voyage  from  Suez  consumed  the  greater  part  of  her  fuel,  which 
the  stores  at  Aden  were  not  in  a  condition  to  replenish.  The 
Bouth-west  monsoon  renders  the  whole  western  coast  of  India  a 
dangerous  lee-shore,  and  to  be  caught  on  it,  in  thick  weather,  in 
a  steamer,  without  plenty  of  coal,  is  to  find  one's  self  in  a  very 
serious  predicament.  That  our  captain  thought  so  was  very  evi- 
dent. At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  had  struck  soundings 
in  fifty  fathoms ;  at  four  we  were  shoaling  our  water  fast,  with 
wind  increasing,  sea  running  high,  and  the  atmospliere  so  thick 
that  standing  near  the  binnacle  one  could  hardly  see  the  funnel. 
As  the  evening  closed  in,  the  captain  became  nervous.  By  seven 
we  had  shoaled  to  sixteen  fathoms.  "I  wish  we  could  get  a 
glimpse  of  the  lights,"  said  he,  forgetting  that  if  we  did — so 
thick  was  the  haze — they  must  have  been  under  the  jib-boom 
end.  The  rain  poured  in  torrents  accompanied  by  tremendous 
squalls  from  the  south-south-west.  "  You  had  better  ease  the 
steam,  Mr.  Jones,"  said  he  to  the  first  lieutenant,  "  and  round 
her  to  for  the  night." — "  Aye,  aye  !"  down  went  the  helm,  and 
instead  of  wearing ;  which  would  have  been  the  more  prudent 
course,  the  vessel  was  thus  brought  head  to  wind.  During  this 
operation,  a  heavy  sea  struck  the  starboard  paddle-bos  and  swept 
the  deck,  rushing  in  formidable  cascades  down  the  main  hatch 
into  the  engine-ro.om,  and  very  nearly  extinguishing  the  fires. 

40  (469) 


470  A   VISIT   TO   BOMBAY. 


The  steam  generated  by  so  much  water  coming  in  contact  with 
the  blazing  furnaces,  rolled  up  the  hatchway  in  volumes  of  white 
vapour,  which,  in  the  darkness  of  the  night,  made  us  all  fancy 
that  some  terrible  explosion  had  taken  place  below ;  the  same 
sea  inundated  the  cabin,  and  fairly  drove  all  its  inmates  on  deck. 
A  general  impression  prevailed  that  the  ship  was  going  down  ; 
which  was  not  a  little  aided  by  a  succession  of  heavy  seas,  into 
which  she  plunged,  and  dipped,  and  rolled  in  a  very  alarming 
manner.  The  change,  from  going  before  the  gale  to  breasting  it, 
was  most  extraordinary ;  the  force  and  fury  of  the  wind — although 
in  reality  no  greater  than  before — seemed  increased  tenfold,  and 
it  was  nearly  half  an  hour  before  we  got  our  head  off  shore. 
We  then  cast  the  lead ;  and  finding  only  eight  fathoms,  the  cap- 
tain decided  on  deepening  our  water,  and  for  this  purpose  it  was 
necessary  to  get  up  our  full  steam.  This,  after  the  thorough 
drenching  of  the  engine  room,  was  no  easy  matter.  However, 
in  about  half  an  hour,  she  was  got  under  the  most  steam  we  could 
raise  ;  and  we  then  began  to  breast  the  opposing  billows  at  the 
rate  of  about  two  knots  an  hour. 

For  the  previous  three  days  we  had  had  no  observation,  and 
we  were  therefore  doubtful  of  our  latitude.  It  was  impossible 
for  us  to  say  whether  we  were  to  the  northward  or  southward  of 
our  port.  In  this  uncertainty  we  passed  the  night,  the  gale  in- 
creasing, and  the  sea  high  in  proportion.  Our  ship  being  light, 
rolled  gunwale  under,  and  occasionally  shipped  green  seas  "  over 
all " — as  the  sailors  term  it — which  gave  all  us  landsmen  no  tri- 
fling alarm.  As  the  day  broke,  a  change  took  place  for  the  bet- 
ter ;  and,  ere  the  sun  had  risen,  a  range  of  hills  was  seen  on  our 
port-beam,  showing  their  rugged  outline  clear  and  distinct  against 
the  gleam  of  the  dawn.  On  making  the  land  out,  we  ran  towards 
it,  in  order  to  identify  the  locality,  and  soon  discovered  that  we 
were  about  thirty  miles  to  the  southward  of  Bombay,  off  a  place 
called  Chowl.  We  therefore  shaped  our  course  for  the  harbour, 
and  ere  long  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  floating  Lights  and  station- 
ary Light-house,  situated  at  the  entrance  of  Bombay  Harbour, 


SHIP   STRANDED   AT   BOMBAY.  p.  471. 


A    VISIT   TO   BOMBAY.  471 


By   seven    o'clock    wc    were   at   anchor   oflf  the   dock-yard   of 
Bombay. 

Few  people  in  England  arc  aware  of  the  beauty  of  Bombay 
Harbour.  I  know  of  no  port  that  equals  it,  except  Bio  Janeiro, 
which  is  not  only  more  extensive  and  more  picturesque,  but  more 
landlocked.  In  heavy  gales  from  the  south-south  east,  Bombay 
Harbour  is  entirely  unprotected;  and  in  1837,  several  large  ships 
were  stranded  and  lost  in  a  hurricane  from  that  quarter.  For- 
tunately, such  occurrences  are  rare  :  and,  up  to  the  present  year, 
no  similar  event  has  taken  place. 

Let  us  now  step  ashore,  at  the  steps  of  the  Apollo  bunder, 
amongst  a  throno;  of  native  boats  and  a  crowd  of  native  boatmen, 
•whose  discordant  cries  and  y:^^!ls  recall  vividly  the  chaotic  confu- 
sion of  Babel.  From  natives  of  every  country,  and  every  isle  of 
the  countless  arc!iipelagos,  these  unintelligible  sounds  proceeded. 
They  were  v.oiferated  in  tones  that  put  to  shame  the  garrulous 
uoi.siness  of  Billingsgate,  Naples  or  Lisbon,  probably  the  three 
most  noisy  stairs  in  Europe.  Once  on  the  bunder,  or  pier — a 
roomy,  commodious  landing  place,  armed  with  half-a-dozen  long 
fifty-six  pounders — I  jumped  into  a  friend's  Brougham  ;  and  in 
twenty  minutes,  find  myself  on  the  top  of  Malabar  Hill  in  a  villa, 
or  bungalow,  abounding  with  every  comfort  compatible  with  the 
climate  of  this  latitude.  The  view  from  this  spot — which  is  one 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  above  the  bay  bclou' — is  extensive  and 
picturesque,  and  presents  a  faint  resemblance  to  that  of  Naples 
from  Posilipo.  At  this  time  of  the  year  the  heat  is  great,  but 
much  modified  by  the  strong  south-west  wind,  which,  however, 
bears  so  much  moisture  on  its  wings,  as  to  make  the  whole  island 
one  vast  vapour  bath. 

A  drive  through  the  ill-constracted  streets  of  the  fort  and  na- 
tive town  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  that  can  be  conceived. 
The  houses  are  slenderly  built,  but  from  their  gay  and  bright 
colouring,  and  their  great  irregularity,  oiTcr  many  tempting  bits 
for  an  artist.  Nearly  all  the  shops  are  without  windows;  and 
here  may  be  seen  in  unlimited  profusion,  not  onlj*  the  piece  goods, 
hardware,  woollens,  and  crockery  of  Europe,  but  all  the  countless 


472  A   VISIT    TO    BOMBAY. 


productions  of  tlie  gorgeous  East,  in  endless  variety.  In  one  aru 
exposed  the  vivid  and  tasteful  tapestries  of  Persia,  with  the 
gilded  bottles,  inlaid  hubble-bubbles,  amber  mouth-pieces,  and 
silver-mounted  hookahs  of  that  country :  in  another,  the  rich 
silks,  the  splendid  toys,  and  cool  mats  of  China ;  in  another,  the 
carpets  of  Cabool  and  Herat,  the  gold-mounted  sabres  of  Beloo- 
chistan,  and  the  embroidered  shawls  of  Delhi  and  Cashmere ;  in 
another,  the  gorgeous  Kincaubs,  brocades,  and  tissues  of  Surat ; 
here,  a  keen-eyed  shroff,  or  native  banker,  sits  cross-legged,  en- 
throned on  bags  of  gold,  silver,  and  copper  coin ;  there,  a  lusty 
Banian  is  enveloped  in  half  open  sacks,  and  dishes  of  every  sort 
of  grain.  In  one  quarter  are  piled  ponderous  bales  of  Manches- 
ter, Glasgow,  and  Leeds  manufactures ;  in  another,  the  ware- 
houses groan  with  wooden  chests  of  opium,  camphor,  spices,  and 
other  odouriferous  commodities ',  among  which,  the  odious  assa- 
foetida  fails  not  to  assert  its  disagreeable  superiority. 

The  population  is  as  varied  as  the  articles  exposed  for  sale,  and 
a  crowded  street  presents  to  the  eye  as  florid  and  brilliant  a  whole 
as  a  bed  of  tulips.  Were  another  Paul  Veronese  to  arise  to  de- 
light the  world  with  his  many-hued  productions,  what  a  field 
would  Bombay  present  to  his  pencil  !  It  was  said  of  him,  with 
truth,  that  he  painted  not  with  ordinary  colours,  but  with  tints 
derived  from  the  diamond,  the  emerald,  the  ruby,  and  the  sap- 
phire; and  in  painting  the  costumes  of  Bombay,  those  vivid 
colours  would  be  indispensable.  The  Oriental,  with  few  excep- 
tions, dresses  with  taste  and  elegance  :  the  Hindoo,  in  his  spot- 
less vest  of  the  purest  white,  with  his  turban  of  crimson,  scarlet, 
or  yellow ;  the  Mussulman,  with  equally  clean  vestments,  but 
with  turban  of  a  soberer  dye  ,•  the  Parsee,  in  his  crimson  cap, 
which,  without  being  picturesque,  is  striking ;  the  AfFghan, 
with  his  flowing  ringlets,  sable  beard,  and  fair  complexion; 
the  Persian,  in  his  robe  of  striped  silk  and  Astracan  lamb- 
skin cap;  the  swarthy  Arab,  in  his  head-dress  of  flowing 
silk,  with  long  and  pendant  fringe ;  the  Scindian,  in  his 
becoming'  cap,  that  gives  every  peasant  the  air  of  a  prince; 
the  diunnutive   Malay,    in    his   national  costume;    the   quaint 


A   VISIT   TO   BOMBAY.  473 


Chinese    in   his   broad-brimmed    straw    hat, — all    throng    the 
thoroughfares  in   perfect  independence  of  the  tyrant  fashion ; 
which  in  European  cities  clips  the  wings   of  exuberant  taste, 
and  reduces  the  whole  population  to  one  sombre  and  monotonous 
hue.     The  brilliant  rays  of  a  midday  sun  show  all  those  irides- 
cent tints  to  great  advantage,  and  no  collection  of  butterflies  sur- 
passes the  denizens  of  Bombay  in  variegated  splendour.     A  few 
squalid    half-naked   figures   are,   of   course,    to  be  seen  among 
this  motley  crowd;  but  the  general  effect  is  hardly  marred  by 
their  intrusion.     However  various  in  race  and  appearance,  one 
sole  and  single  object  animates  this  moving  mass;  one  sole  and 
single  idea  occupies  their  thoughts  :  acquisition  and  retention  of 
money.    They  are  all  traders.    No  Oriental,  having  once  amassed 
money,  sits  down  to  enjoy  it  quietly.     No  such  thing  as  retiring 
from  business  is  known  or  thought  of.     Enormous  fortunes  have 
been  accumulated  in  Bombay  by  trade,  and  so  keen  is  commercial 
ardour,  that  it  generally  devours  all  the  other  passions  of  exis- 
tence.    The  opium  trade  with  China  has  been  one  fruitful  source 
of  wealth  to  the  Bombay  merchant,  and  the  immense  riches  at- 
tributed to  the  Parsee  knight.  Sir  Jamatjee  Jeejeebpoy,  are  en- 
tirely derived  from  it.     He  has  made  a  noble  use  of  his  money ; 
and  the  public  establishments  suggested  by  his  philanthropy, 
erected  by  his  bounty,  and  endowed  by  his  munificence,  proclaim 
loudly  to  the  world,  not  only  his  unbounded  command  of  money, 
but  his  splendid  application  of  it.     He  is  reported  to  have  given 
away,  within  the  last  ten  years,  upwards  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand  pounds  sterling  to  works  of  permanent  utility.     I 
know  no  recorded  example  of  similar  generosity,  during  life,  in 
any  individual  in  Europe. 

The  Parsees  are  perhaps  the  most  energetic,  enterprising,  and 
speculating  people  in  the  East.  Generally  connected  with  some 
European  mercantile  house  as  brokers,  in  the  first  instance,  they 
accumulate  considerable  sums,  which  subsequently  have,  in 
many  instances,  been  applied  to  save  their  employers  from  ruin. 
The  Parsee  community  may  consist  of  about  fifty  thousand,  al- 
most all  of  whom  are  engaged  in  trade  and  manufactures.     A 

40* 


474  A  VISIT   TO   BOMBAY. 


few  go  out  to  service  as  coachmen  and  butlers,  but  not  one  is  to 
be  met  with  either  in  the  army  or  the  police  force.  Next  in  in- 
telligence to  the  Parsees  come  the  Hindoos,  who  outnumber  them 
sixfold.  Education  is  making  great  strides  amongst  this  class, 
and  the  literature  of  the  West  is  fast  superseding  the  fables  of 
the  East.  The  Brahmins  in  Bombay  are  falling  rapidly  into 
disrepute,  and  the  true  theories  of  material  philosophy  are 
takint^  the  place  of  the  senseless  doctrines  of  their  ancestors. 
As  their  minds  became  enlightened,  the  Hindoos  naturally  and 
necessarily  abandon  the  faith  of  their  fathers ;  for  which,  how- 
ever, they  decline  to  substitute  the  mysteries  of  Christianity. 
Next  in  number  to  the  Hindoos  stand  the  followers  of  Mahomet, 
who,  however,  are  any  thing  but  unanimous  in'^their  doctrines. 
The  Sheeah,  the  Soornee,  the  Khojah,  the  Mehmon,  the  Borah, 
the  Mussulman  from  the  Deccan,  and  he  from  the  Konkan,  have 
all  some  distinctive  Shibboleth,  but  agree  in  the  two  great  points 
of  Mahometanism — the  unity  of  God,  and  the  truth  of  Ma- 
homet's mission  as  his  prophet. 

The  Portuguese  or  native  Christians  form  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  the   population   of  Bombay;    thousands  of   temporary 
sojourners  add  variety  even  to  this  variegated  mass.  Armenians, 
Jews,  Persians,  Scindians,  Afifghans,  Beloochees,  Cashmerians, 
Bengalese,  Madrassees,  Chinese,  Malays,  Arabs,  are  to  be  met 
with  at  every  turn.  The  rich  Parsees,  Hindoos,  and  Mussulmans 
drive  about  in  very  elegant  equipages,  chiefly  procured  from  Lon- 
don or  Liverpool ;  for  the  art  of  carriage-building  is  not,  as  in 
Calcutta,  one  of  those  brought  to  perfection   in  Bombay.     The 
English  settled  here  are  a  mere  handful  in  point  of  numbers, 
although  they  are  the  motive  and  regulating  power  of  the  whole 
of  the  other  machinery.     They  consist  exclusively  of  temporary 
residents,  members  of  the  two  services,  civil  and  military,  of  the 
law,  or  of  the  mercantile  profession.     No  settler  or  colonist  is  to 
be  found  here.     All  hope  to  lay  their  bones  in  England,  and, 
with  this  feeling  predominant  in  every  English  breast,  it  is  clear 
that  not  much  permanent  interest  for  India  can  be  entertained  by 
this  class. 


A   VISIT   TO   BOMBAY.  475 


The  mode  of  life  amongst  the  English  gentry  is  very  pleasant. 
An  early  ride  before  the  sun  has  risen  high  enough  to  be  annoy- 
ing ;  the  indispensable  cold  bath ;  a  substantial  breakfast  at  nine  ; 
tiffin  or  luncheon  at  two,  for  those  who  like  it ;  and  dinner  at 
half-past  seven,  before  which  a  ride  or  a  drive  for  a  couple  of 
hours  serves  to  dissipate  the  vapours  of  office  work — form  the 
usual  routine  of  existence.  Where  no  one  is  idle,  there  is,  of 
course,  small  time  left  for  literary  pursuits,  and  the  lassitude  in- 
duced by  the  climate  renders  it  next  to  impossible  to  read  or 
write  after  dinner.  Reading  is  consequently  much  limited  to  the 
ephemeral  productions  of  the  daily  press.  This,  for  India,  is 
on  rather  an  extensive  scale,  since  there  are  no  fewer  than  three 
morning  journals,  conducted  with  much  spirit  and  vigour. 

Parcll,  the  Governor's  residence,  is  a  spacious  and  handsome 
edifice,  with  no  pretensions  to  architectural  beauty,  but  imposing 
from  its  magnitude.  It  contains  excellent  private  apartments, 
besides  a  magnificent  suite  of  reception  rooms.  A  ball  here  in 
January  or  February,  when  every  body  is  at  the  Presidency,  is 
like  a  costume  ball.  Ladies  dressed  in  the  height  of  fashion, 
men  in  uniforms  of  every  gradation  of  splendour,  a  superb  mili- 
tary band,  rooms  illuminated  in  a  manner  that  shames  the  feeble 
effi)rts  of  a  London  wax-chandler,  the  finest  flowers  (such  as  are 
only  to  be  procured  in  England  from  hot-houses)  in  the  most 
luxuriant  profusion,  constituting  the  leading  features  of  those 
very  agreeable  parties.  Such  scenes  are  not,  however,  confined 
to  Government  House.  The  Byculla  Club  occasionally  lends  its 
magnificent  saloon  to  this  sort  of  reunion  :  and  the  other  day 
the  Bachelors  gave  a  sumptuous  soiree  in  the  grand  and  classic 
saloon  of  the  Town  Hall ;  besides  which  the  leading  members  of 
society  here  are  continually  giving  agreeable  dances.  Thus, 
here,  as  elsewhere,  we  try  to  cheat  existence  of  its  sombre  hue, 
and  to  give  it  a  varnish  of  hilarity  not  quite  consistent  with  its 
natural  tones.  The  rooms  here  are,  in  general,  large  and  lofty, 
and  the  profusion  of  wax  lights  is  on  these  occasions,  quite  daz- 
zling. Nothing  can  exceed  the  tedium  of  a  formal  Bombay  din- 
ner.  Tables  groaning  with  Brummagem  imitations  of  splendour, 


476  A  VISIT   TO   BOMBAY. 


and  dishes  redolent  of  the  strong  and  greasy  compositions  of 
Portuguese  cooks ;  guests  thrown  together,  in  numerous  confu- 
sion, withoitt  reference  to  acquaintanceship  or  similarity  of 
tastes  or  habits;  fifty  or  sixty  people  seated  at  an  immense 
table  resembling  a  table  d'hote  in  all  except  the  goodness  of  its 
dishes,  with  a  servant  behind  every  chair.  This  is  a  picture  of 
a  Bombay  dinner. 

The  Fine  Arts  are  unknown  in  Bombay,      A  gaudy-coloured 
lithograph  would  be  here  as  much  esteemed  as  a  Titian  or  a  Ra- 
phael ;    and,  I  fear,   the  want  of  taste  is  not  confined  to  the 
native  inhabitants.     Europeans  come  out  so  young,  so  partially 
educated,  and  with  their  ideas  on  the  subject  of  Art  so  little  de- 
veloped, that   they  remain   for  the  rest  of  their  lives  as  much 
children  in  this  respect  as  when  they  first  arrived.     I  remember 
once  accompanying  two   Indian   friends  through  the  gallery  of 
the  Pitti  Palace.     Their  admiration  was  wholly  given  to  the 
worst  pictures  and  the  worst  statues.     An   artist  here  would 
starve ;  and  although  the  Hindoos  have  a  taste   for  sculpture 
their  efforts  arc  confined  to  the  grotesque.     This  is  extraordi- 
nary, when  we  reflect  that  the  human  figure  in  its  most  beautiful 
proportions  is  constantly  displayed  to  them.     Some  of  the  men 
from  Ilindostan — who  go  by  the  name  of  Purdasees,  or  foreign- 
ers— are  the  most  superb  models  for  a  sculptor  that  can  be  con- 
ceived.    The  women,  too,  throw  their  drapery  about  them  in  the 
most  elegant  folds,  and  a  group  of  Hindoo  girls  at  a  well  is  per- 
hans  the  most  artistic  combination   that  could  be  desired.     Yet 
these  pass  unnoticed  and  uuadmircd,  except  perhaps,  by  an  oc- 
casional amateur,  whose  other  avocations  leave  him  little  time 
to  note  or  perpetuate  the  graceful  scene.    We  are  apt  to  imagine 
that  the  Greeks  derived  their  superiority  in  the  Fine  Arts  from 
their  constant  familiarity  with   the  finest  forms,   in  battles  and 
-wrestling  places  in  the  forum,  the  agora  or  the  hippodrome.    Yet 
these  could  only  have  been  occasional  opportunities  compared  with 
those  offered  daily  in  the  streets  of  Bombay.    The  genius  of  Ma- 
homctanism  is  opposed  to  the  imitation  of  the  human  figure,  either 
in  painting  or  sculpture ;  but  Hindoo  temples  abound  with  exam- 


A   VISIT   TO   BOMBAY.  477 


pies  of  both.  How  is  it,  then,  that  Art  should  be  here  at  a  lower 
ebb  in  the  niucteeuth  century  than  it  even  was  in  Egypt !  Even  in 
architecture  the  taste  of  the  Hindoos  is  vicious  and  trivial  to  a  great 
extent;  great  labour *and  expense  are  frittered  away  in  the  most 
tasteless  attempts  at  ornament,  and  not  a  single  Hindoo  monument 
of  architectural  science  is  to  be  seen  in  or  near  Bombay.  The  same 
may  be  said  of  the  Parsees,  none  of  whom,  even  the  richest, 
possesses  a  painting  worth  five  shillings,  although  their  rooms  are 
crowded  with  chandeliers,  lustres,  mirrors,  and  gilding,  of  the 
most  expensive  character,  and  all  procured  from  London,  which, 
if  desired,  could  furnish  their  magnificent  saloons  with  exquisite 
pictures,  bronzes,  and  statues,  at  a  very  moderate  expense.  Taste 
may  perhaps  arise  after  another  half-century  of  education,  but  at 
present  it  finds  no  resting-place  to  the  eastward  of  the  Cape. 
One  only  good  picture  is  to  be  seen  here,  a  large  whole  length 
portrait  of  Queen  Victoria,  by  Wilkie.  This  is  in  the  possession 
of  the  Parsee  Knight,  and  wiiS  made  a  present  to  him  by  the  l;;te 
Sir  Charles  Forbes. 

The  Town  Hall,  which  ccutains  the  library  of  tJie  Ponibay 
branch  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  uociety,  is  rich  in  three  magnificent 
works  of  Chantrey.  These  are  colossal  statues  of  Mount  Stewart 
Llphiustoue,  Sir  John  Malc-dm,  and  Sir  Charles  Forbes  j  the  two 
former  in  his  best  manner.  This  building  is,  perhaps,  the  finest 
specimen  of  English  taste  in  India.  It  is  in  the  Doric  style, 
vast  and  well  proportioned,  though  a  little  ponderous. 

The  trade  of  Bombay  is  extensive  and  important,  the  imports 
and  exports  each  reaching  on  an  average  nearly  ten  millions 
sterling.  By  far  the  greater  part  of  this  traific  is  conducted  ou 
commission,  the  majority  of  the  houses  here  being  merely  commis- 
sion agents.  A  large  proportion  of  the  trade  with  China  and  other 
Eastern  countries  is  in  the  hands  of  natives ;  that  with  England 
and  Europe  chiefly,  if  not  entirely,  in  English  and  German  firms. 
There  is  not  a  single  French  house  of  agency  here.  Taking  the 
profits  on  these  twenty  millions  at  eight  per  cent.,  which  I  fancy 
every  house  of  agency  expects  as  its  share,  we  have  here  one  mil- 
lion eight  hundred  thousand  pounds  to  be  distributed  amongst  the 


478  A  VISIT   TO  BOxMBAY. 


mercantile  community,  some  of  the  leading  members  of  which 
must  be  annually  realizing  very  large  sums.  There  is  not,  how- 
ever, much  appearance  or  show  of  wealth  amongst  the  cotton 
lords  here,  who,  generally  speaking,  live  inr  a  very  modest  quiet 
way.  The  great  staple  of  export  is  raw  cotton — the  great  staple 
of  import  the  same  cotton  manufactured. 

It  is  singular  that  so  few  indigenous  Indian  horses  should  exist. 
Those  employed  in  our  regular  cavalry  and  horse  artillery  are  in- 
variably either  Arab  or  Persian ;  the  former  small,  active,  and  of 
perfect  symmetry  ;  the  latter,  larger  and  more  powerful,  but  with 
less  activity,  and  far  less  beauty.  A  well-bred  Arab  has  small 
ears,  wide  and  square  forehead,  jowl  and  cheekbones  wide 
apart;  eye  bright  and  large;  nostril  open,  angular,  and  trans- 
parent; nether  lip  pendulous;  skin  of  a  smooth  silky  texture; 
fore-hand  fine  ;  shoulder  not  very  high,  but  very  oblique  ;  joints 
large,  angular,  and  well-knit.  The  hack  sinew  of  the  fore-leg 
remarkably  large,  and  standing  out  wjU  from  the  leg-bone,  pas- 
tern rather  long,  hoof  hard,  and  crust  rather  high;  barrel- round ; 
hips  wide,  tail  set  on  high;  buttock  square,  thigh  muscular, 
hock  lai'ge  and  free  from  flesh;  tail  fine  at  the  extremity  like 
that  of  a  greyhound  ;  temper  mild  and  equable  ;  height  seldom 
exceeding  fourteen  hands  two  inches.  This  is  the  Arab  horse 
of  good  blood,  and  of  such  about  two  thousand  are  imported  an- 
nually into  I3omb;iy,  chiifly  from  Bussorah.  Of  course,  all  do 
not  answer  this  description,  which  comprises  almost  every  desira- 
ble quality  of  shajDC  and  make  to  be  found  in  this  quadruped. 
Their  speed  is  good,  but  not  equal  to  our  English  blood ;  a  mile 
in  one  hundred  and  twelve  seconds  being  about  the  utmost  they 
can  come  up  to.  In  England  the  same  distance  has  often  been 
performed  in  eighty  seconds  by  our  best  blood.  Tlic  average 
speed  of  an  Arab  is,  however,  much  greater  than  that  of  the  ordi- 
nnr}'  run  of  ]-:]iigl!sh  hcrses,  not  thorough-bred.  The  price  of  an 
Arab  here  is  high ;  youug,  sound,  and  of  good  blood,  with  power 
to  carry  twelve  or  thirteen  stone.  Such  a  horse  cannot  be  bought 
at  the  stables  for  loss  ihau  one  thousand  or  twelve  hundred  ru- 
pees.    The  trade  is  in  the  hands  of  Parsee  brokers,  four  or  five 


A   VISIT   TO   BOMBAY.  479 


©t  wliom  keep  stables,  capable  of  contaiaing  from  three  to  four 
hundred  horses  each.  Ou  each  sale  they  realize  thirty-two  rupees, 
seventeen  from  the  buyer  and  fifteen  from  the  seller,  irrespective 
of  the  value  of  the  horse.  It  follows,  therefore,  that  as  these 
brokers  generally  dispose  of  five  or  six  hundred  horses  each,  an- 
nually, they  must  realize  large  profits,  besides  that  which  they 
derive  from  the  horses  standing  at  livery. 

Another  article  of  commerce  consists  of  pearls,  also  from  the 
Persian  Gulf.  The  Arabs  bring  these  down  in  December  or 
January,  and  return  before  the  monsoon  sets  in,  carrying  home 
in  exchange  large  quantities  of  Manchester  and  Yorkshire 
goods. 

Of  these  orient  gems  a  large  proportion  is  unsuited  to  the 
European  markets,  being  of  a  yellowish  golden  lustre,  and  not 
of  that  pure  white  so  much  desiderated  at  home.  The  natives 
do  not  despise  them  for  this,  and  in  my  eye — which  ever  delighted 
in  the  rich  Venetian  tone  of  colour,  in  preference  to  the  cold  tints 
of  Rome  or  Florence — I  must  say  they  lose  nothing  by  this 
golden  hue.  The  opulent  here  of  every  caste  possess  vast  hoards 
of  these  treasures  of  the  deep ;  with  which,  on  gala  days,  they 
delight  to  deck  their  children  and  wives.  A  considerable  por- 
tion of  each  wealthy  native's  riches  consists  in  jewelry,  but  for 
the  most  part  the  stones  ai'e  badly  set  and  badly  cut.  Size,  irre- 
spective of  symmetry  or  water,  is  much  coveted,  and  the  conse- 
quence is  that  no  where  are  so  many  indifferent  jewels  treasured 
up  as  here. 

Magnitude  and  profusion  are  the  rules  of  native  taste  in  the 
precious  stones  on  this  side  of  India,  which  possesses  none  of  the 
skill  or  science  evinced  by  the  jewellers  and  lapidaries  of  Agra 
and  Delhi,  or  even  by  those  in  the  Madras  Presidency.  Orna- 
ments of  pure  and  massive  gold  distinguish  the  less  opulent, 
many  of  whom  carry  about  their  persons  their  whole  wealth. 
An  immense  quantity  of  the  precious  metals  is  lost  to  circulation 
by  this  propensit}^,  which  probably  may  trace  its  origin  to  habits 
engendered  by  long  years  of  turbulence  and  warfare,  when  no 
safe  investment  of  capital  existed.     Even  BOW  it  is  difficult  to 


480  A  VISIT   TO  BOMBAY, 


persuade  a  native  of  the  advantage  held  out  by  a  Government 
savings  bank  in  preference  to  a  gold  chain  or  bangle,  the  ready 
and  ever-available  resources  of  which  arc,  to  his  mind,  more  easily 
realizable  than  those  offered  by  the  signature  of  a  bank  secre- 
tary. A  well  informed  native  has  assured  me  that  he  has  reason 
to  believe  that  not  less  than  five  crores  of  rupees,  or  five  millions 
sterling,  is  invested  in  gold  and  silver  ornaments  in  Bombay. 
Certain  it  is  that  nowhere  have  I  seen  so  universal  a  diffusion  of 
these  ornaments  as  here.  The  commonest  cooley  has  his  gold 
ear-ring;  the  meanest  artizan  his  amulet  of  gold,  or  his  waist- 
belt  of  silver — probably  both.  Should  Bombay  ever  be  laid  under 
contribution  by  a  French  line-of-battle  ship)  and  one  such  would 
4)6  sufficient  for  the  purpose),  the  bushels  of  golden  ornaments 
that  might  be  collected  in  a  couple  of  hours  would  exceed  ten- 
fold the  knightly  spoils  of  the  field  of  Cannoo. 

No  place  in  the  world  is  more  open  to  a  marauding  enemy 
than  Bombay.  The  defences  towards  the  sea  are  contemptible, 
and  half-an-hour's  bombardment  would  destroy  the  Fort,  the 
crowded  houses  of  which  are  built  up  to  within  a  few  feet  of 
the  ramparts,  where,  in  case  of  conflagration,  no  men  could  stand 
to  their  guns.  Without  the  aid  of  some  heavy  men-of-war, 
Bombay  might  be  sacked  and  burned  in  an  hour,  and  no  vestige 
left  of  its  pristine  prosperity.  I  don't  know  whether  foreign  rulers 
are  aware  of  its  insecurity ;  but  there  is  certainly,  at  present, 
nothing  to  prevent  the  approach  of  a  hostile  line-of-battle  ship, 
and  when  arrived,  nothing  to  prevent  her  from  laying  the  place 
in  ashes,  or  under  contribution,  as  might  best  suit  her  views. 
The  great  importance  of  Bombay,  as  the  key  of  communication 
between  the  upper  provinces  of  India  and  England,  as  the  em- 
porium of  the  cotton  trade,  as  the  great  entrepot  of  the  Man- 
chester, Glasgow,  and  Yorkshire  goods,  as  the  seat  of  a  most  ex- 
tensive and  efficient  naval  dock-yard,  and  as  the  capital  of  Wes- 
tern India,  ought  to  direct  attention  to  this  state  of  things ;  for 
the  place  at  present  is  as  defenceless  as  Southampton,  and  still 
more  accessible ;  for  the  heaviest  line-of-battle  ship  could  lie 
within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  Custom  House,  the  Treasury, 


A   VISIT   TO   BOMBAY.  481 


and  the  mint.  So  large  a  population,  such  extensive  wealth,  and 
so  important  interests,  ought  to  demand  the  most  serious  atten- 
tion of  the  authorities  to  their  insecure  state;  for  a  blow  once 
struck  home  would  be  irreparable. 

A  sketch  of  Bombay  would  be  imperfect  without  a  notice  of 
the  railroad  now  in  progress,  and  which  is  fondly  thought  by 
many  will  be  the  forerunner  of  a  host  of  others,  that  are  to 
bring  the  most  distant  cities  of  India  within  a  few  hours  of  each 
other.  It  is  very  nearly  completed  as  far  as  Tannah,  the  north- 
ernmost point  of  Salsette ;  and  it  is  progressing  thence  towards 
Callian,  in  the  Northern  Konkan.  Thence,  it  is  hoped  that 
eventually  it  will  be  carried  farther  into  the  interior,  and  that 
the  Ghauts  will  be  surmounted,  so  as  to  bring  the  traffic 
of  the  Deccan  and  Khandei.^h  within  its  grasp,  and  thus, 
in  a  great  measure,  remedy  the  crying  evil  of  India — the  want 
of  internal  communications.  The  projectors,  on  calculations 
which  are  understood  to  have  been  well  considered,  anticipate 
large  profits.  The  East  India  Company  has  acted  wisely  in  so 
far  complying  with  the  exigencies  of  the  times  as  to  yield  grace- 
fully to  the  clamour  for  a  railroad.  Its  real  importance  or  value 
will  never  be  understood  in  England ;  and  it  is  a  good  tub  to 
throw  to  the  whale  on  the  approaching  discussions  on  the  charter. 


41 


MADAME    PFEIFFER    AT    TAHITI. 

Madame  Ida  Pfeiffer,  of  Vienna,  a  lady,  favourably  known 
to  the  reading  public  of  Germany  as  the  pleasant  narrator  of  a 
Pilgrimage  to  the  Holy  Land,  and  of  various  Tours  in  different 
parts  of  Europe,  has  recently  published  an  account  of  her  Tra- 
vels round  the  World.  In  her  preface,  she  states  that  an  uncon- 
trollable desire  to  travel,  and  to  see  distant  and  little  known  re- 
gions, impelled  her  to  undertake  the  bold  enterprise,  the  details 
of  which  are  now  recorded  in  thi'ee  little  volumes,  entitled 
"  A  Lady's  Travels  round  the  World."  In  the  course  of  so  ex- 
tensive a  circuit,  much  that  is  curious  and  interesting  must  have 
presented  itself  to  an  intelligent  observer  like  Madame  Pfeiffer. 
We  subjoin,  with  some  abridgement,  her  account  of  Tahiti  and 
its  inhabitants. 

It  may  be  well  to  premise,  that  until  lately  Tahiti  was  under 
the  protection  of  England,  but  it  is  now  transferred  to  France. 
The  island  was  long  an  object  of  dispute  between  the  Govern- 
ments of  both  nations;  but  in  November,  1846,  peace  was  con- 
cluded. Queen  Pomare,  who  during  the  interval  of  contention, 
fled  to  another  Island,  had  returned  to  Papeiti,  one  of  the  chief 
cities,  a  few  weeks  before  Madame  Pfeiffer  arrived  there.  Her 
abode  was  a  small  house  containing  only  four  rooms,  and  she 
dined  every  day  at  the  residence  of  the  Governor.  A  suitable 
abode  is  now  being  built  for  the  Queen,  by  the  French  Govern- 
ment, from  which  Her  Majesty  receives  a  pension  of  twenty-five 
thousand  francs  per  annum. 

Papeiti,  the  port,  is  surrounded  by  coral-reefs,  which  defend 

it  like  the  outworks  of  a  fortress,  and  render  its  entrance  at 

once    difficult   and    dangerous.       Between    the    rocks,    against 

which  the  billows  break  with  frightful  force,  a  very  narrow  open- 

(482) 


MADAME   PFEIFFER   AT   TAUITI.  483 


ing  barely  affords  sufficient  room  for  the  passage  of  ships.  On 
cur  approach,  says  Madame  Pfciffer,  a  pilot  came  out  to  us,  and, 
in  spite  of  a  very  adverse  wind,  we  succeeded  in  working  our 
way  safely  into  the  harbour.  After  we  had  landed,  we  were 
congratulated  on  our  lucky  escape;  the  people  who  were  anxiously 
watching  our  entrance  assured  us  that  at  one  moment  we  were 
nearly  struck  on  a  coral  bank — an  accident  which  had  a  short 
time  previously  befallen  a  French  vessel. 

Before  we  cast  anchor,  we  observed  some  half-dozen  Pirogues 
making  towards  us ;  and  in  the  space  of  a  few  minutes  our  deck 
was  thronged  with  Indians,  who  nimbly  climbed  up  to  the  ship's 
sides  to  offer  us  fruit  and  shell-fish.  But  these  luxuries  are  not 
now,  as  they  were  in  Captain  Cook's  time,  obtained  in  exchange  for 
glass  beads  and  bits  of  red  cloth.  They  are  to  be  had  for  money 
only;  and  our  Tahitiau  visitors  showed  us  that  they  knew  how  to 
drive  bargains  and  extort  high  prices  as  well  as  the  most  prac- 
tised hucksters  of  Europe.  1  presented  to  one  of  the  Indians  a 
ring  made  of  some  kind  of  gilt  metal.  He  took  it ;  and  .after 
smelling  it,  shook  his  head,  giving  me  to  understand  that  he 
knew  it  was  not  made  of  gold.  Observing  a  ring  on  my  finger, 
he  took  my  hand,  and  whilst  he  smelt  the  ring,  a  pleasant  smile 
that  lighted  up  his  features  seemed  expressive  of  a  request  that 
I  would  give  it  to  him. 

We  found  Papeiti  (on  the  25th  of  April,  1847,)  full  of  French 
troops,  and  several  French  ships  wex"e  lying  in  the  harbour.  The 
town,  which  contains  between  three  and  four  thousand  inhabi- 
tants, consists  briefly  of  a  range  of  wooden  houses  with  gardens 
extending  along  the  shore.  A  noble  forest,  crowning  a  range  of 
hills,  forms  the  background  of  the  scene,  and  here  and  there  on 
the  upland  are  scattered  many  small  huts. 

The  only  buildings  of  any  commodious  size,  are  the  Governor's 
house,  the  French  magazine,  the  military  bakehouse  (whence 
the  barracks  are  supplied  with  bread),  and  the  Queen's  residence, 
not  yet  completed.  Many  little  wooden  houses,  containing  only 
one  room,  had  been  hastily  constructed,  to  supply  the  demand 
for  dwelling  places,   which,  when  I  was  there,  were  so  scarce, 


484  MADAME   PFEIFFER   AT   TAHITI. 


that  French  officers  of  rank  were  glad  to  take  up  their  quarters 
in  wretched  Indian  huts. 

I  looked  about  in  vain  for  a  lodging.  Nowhere  could  I  find  a 
single  room  to  let :  and  at  length  I  was  fain  to  content  myself 
with  part  of  a  room — in  short,  literally  a  corner.  This  accom- 
modation I  found  in  a  hut,  occupied  by  a  carpenter,  his  wife, 
and  two  children.  A  space  about  six  feet  in  length,  and  four  in 
width,  was  allotted  to  me  behind  the  door.  The  floor  was  not 
boarded,  and  the  walls  were  formed  of  staccadoes  and  palisades. 
There  was  neither  bedstead  nor  chair ;  and  yet  for  this  lodging 
I  was  obliged  to  pay  very  exorbitantly. 

The  hut  of  a  Tahitian  Indian  frequently  has  no  walls,  and 
consists  merely  of  a  roofing  of  palm-leaves  supported  on  poles. 
Even  those  better  sort  of  huts,  which  have  palisadoed  walls,  are 
not  divided  into  compartments;  all  comprise  only  one  room,  the 
dimensions  of  which  usually  vary  from  twenty  to  fifty  feet  in 
length,  and  from  ten  to  thirty  in  breadth.  The  whole  furniture 
consists  of  mats  of  plaited  straw,  some  coverings  for  beds,  a  few 
wooden  chests,  and  possibly  one  or  two  jointed  stools  :  the  latter, 
however,  rank  among  superfluities.  Of  cooking  utensils  or  appa- 
ratus, the  Indians  possess  none.  Their  food  is  all  baked  in  stone 
ovens.  The  stones  are  heated,  and  the  meat  is  put  into  the  oven 
without  any  dish.  At  table,  one  knife  suffices  for  a  whole  party ; 
and  a  cocoa-nut  shell  serves  as  a  basin  to  contain  water  for  their 
drink.  The  missionaries  who  have  successively  resided  here 
during  the  last  fifty  years,  have  wrought  a  change  in  the 
dress  of  the  natives,  especially  those  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Papeiti. 

Still,  however,  their  costume  is  sufficiently  characteristic  of 
savage  life.  Both  men  and  women  wear  a  garment  called  the 
pareo ;  it  is  a  sort  of  petticoat  made  of  coloured  cloth,  and  fas- 
tened round  the  waist  by  a  band.  By  the  women  it  is  worn  long 
enough  to  descend  to  the  ankles ;  but  the  men  have  it  much 
shorter,  reaching  only  to  the  knee.  The  men  wear  a  short  shirt 
of  coloured  cotton  over  the  pareo,  and  under  it  they  frequently 
have  loose  trowsers.     The  upper  garment  of  the  woiuen  is  a  sort 


MADAME   TFEIFFER   AT   TAniTI.  485 


jf  long  full  blouse.  Both  sexes  wear  flowers  in  their  ears  instead 
of  ear-rings,  the  hole  in  the  lobe  of  the  ear  being  bored  suffi- 
ciently large  to  admit  of  flower  stalks  being  easily  drawn  through 
it.  The  Tahitian  women,  old  as  well  as  young,  adorn  themselves 
profusely  with  flowers  and  foliage,  of  which  they  form  very 
tasteful  wreaths  and  bouquets.  I  also  frequently  saw  men  wear- 
ing wreaths  round  their  heads.  On  holidays  and  other  festive  occa- 
sions, they  wear,  in  addition  to  their  ordinary  dress,  an  upper 
garment  called  the  tiputa.  This  is  made  of  a  material  of  their 
own  manufacture,  prepared  from  the  bark  of  the  bread-fruit  and 
cocoa-nut  trees.  The  bark,  when  newly  stripped  from  the  tree, 
is  beat  and  pressed  with  stones  until  it  becomes  as  thin  as  paper; 
after  which  it  is  coloured  yellow  and  brown. 

I  visited  a  little  wooden  building  used  as  a  place  of  worship. 
It  was  thronged  by  Indians,  all  of  whom  had  been  converted  to 
Christianity.  They  called  themselves  Protestants;  but,  of  the 
faith  they  professed  they  knew  nothing  but  the  name.  Before 
entering  the  house  of  prayer  they  all  divested  themselves  of 
their  floral  ornaments,  with  which  they  again  decorated  them- 
selves on  departing.  Some  of  the  women  wore  black  satin 
blouses ;  others,  who  were  resolved  on  being  particularly  fine, 
appeared  iu  bonnets — gay  creations  of  Parisian  millinery,  of  a 
fashion  which  has  been  obsolete  for  at  least  half-a  dozen  years. 
It  is  impossible  to  conceive  the  ludicrous  eff"ect  produced  by  the 
broad,  flat  faces  of  these  Tahitian  belles,  under  their  fantastically 
shaped  bonnets. 

Whilst  the  psalms  were  being  sung,  an  air  of  devotion  per- 
vaded the  congregation,  many  of  whom  joined  in  the  sinfin"- 
with  tolerable  correctness;  but  during  the  delivery  of  the  ser- 
mon, the  clergyman  was  listened  to  with  the  utmost  indifference. 
The  children  were  engaged  in  playing,  quarrelling,  and  eating ; 
and  of  the  grown-up  portion  of  the  assembly,  those,  who  were  not 
gossiping  were  sound  asleep.  I  was  assured  that  most  of  the 
natives  are  able  to  read,  and  that  many  of  them  can  write ;  but, 
during  worship  in  the  church,  I  saw  only  two  individuals  (aged 
vuen)  make  use  of  their  bibles. 

41* 


486  MADAME   PFEIFFER   AT   TAHITI. 


The  Tahitians  are  tall  in  stature,  and  strongly  made.  Men 
Df  six  feet  high  are  by  no  means  uncommon.  The  women  are 
likewise  tall,  and,  in  general,  very  stout.  The  men  are  decidedly 
handsomer  than  the  women.  Both  sexes  are  alike  remarkable 
for  beautiful  white  teeth,  and  fine  dark  eyes ;  all  have  very  large 
mouths,  thick  lips,  and  broad,  flat  noses ;  the  latter  are  so  highly 
admired,  that,  as  soon  as  an  infant  is  born,  it  is  customary  to 
press  down  the  cartilages  of  the  nose,  in  order  to  give  to  the 
feature  the  broad,  flat  form  which  is  an  indispensable  condition 
of  Tahitian  beauty.  Both  men  and  women  have  long  black 
hair,  whicb  hangs  down  their  backs  in  one  or  two  thick  plaits. 
The  complexion  of  these  islanders  is  copper  colour.  Nearly  all 
of  them  are  tattoed  on  the  lower  limbs ;  but  the  hands,  feet, 
and  all  other  parts  of  the  body  are  free  of  these  ornaments.  The 
figures  employed  in  this  tattooing,  chiefly  arabesques,  are  fre- 
quently executed  with  much  artistic  taste. 

The  Governor  of  Tahiti,  M.  Bruat,  made  arrangements  for 
some  grand  public  festivities  on  the  first  of  May,  in  honour  of 
the  fete  of  Louis  Philippe.  In  the  forenoon,  a  sham  sea-fight 
was  got  up  under  the  superintendence  of  the  sailors  belonging 
to  the  French  ships  in  the  port.  This  being  ended,  the  specta- 
tors adjourned  to  a  meadow  to  witness  feats  of  agility,  exhibited 
by  some  of  the  natives  in  climbing  a  Maypole.  At  the  summit 
of  this  pole  coloured  handkerchiefs  and  other  trifles  were  the 
prizes  won,  to  those  who  were  lucky  enough  to  reach  them.  At 
noon  the  principal  native  chiefs  were  invited  to  a  grand  feast 
prepared  for  them  on  the  lawn  fronting  the  Governor's  house. 
The  banquet  consisted  of  salt  meat,  bacon,  bread,  roasted  pigs, 
and  fruits  of  various  kinds.  But  the  guests  instead  of  sitting 
down,  as  was  expected  they  would,  to  partake  of  the  delicacies 
provided  for  them,  divided  the  whole  into  portions,  and  each  car- 
ried his  share  home  with  him.  In  the  evening  there  were  fire- 
works, illuminations,  and  ball. 

I  was  present  at  this  ball,  and  was  vastly  amu.sed  and  inte- 
rested. The  assembled  company  exhibited  the  most  ludicrous 
contrast  of  art  and  nature.     Elegant  Parisian  ladies  were  seated 


MADAME   PFEIFFER   AT   TAHITI.         •  487 


side  by  side,  with  coarse,  swarthy,  native  females ;  and  Trench 
staff  officers,  in  full  uniform,  might  be  seen  holding  conversation 
with  half-naked  Indians.  Several  of  the  natives,  desirous  of 
making  a  particularly  elegant  appearance  on  this  occasion,  wore 
loose  white  trousers ;  others  had  no  other  clothing  than  the 
pareo  and  the  loose  shirt  over  it.  One  of  the  chiefs,  arrayed  in 
this  costume,  was  a  most  pitiable  object;  he  was  perfectly 
crippled  by  elephantiasis.  On  the  occasion  of  this  ball  I  saw 
Queen  Pomare  for  the  first  time.  Her  figure  is  tall  and  stout, 
but  very  well  formed.  She  is  thirty-six  years  of  age,  but  fresh 
and  blnomins ;  and  I  have  observed  that  the  women  of  Tahiti 
retain  their  youthful  appearance  to  a  more  advanced  period  of 
life  than  the  women  of  other  warm  climates.  The  countenance 
of  Queen  Pomare  is  pleasing,  and  is  almost  continually  animated 
by  a  good-humoured  smile.  She  wore  a  robe  of  azure-blue  satin, 
made  very  full,  and  somewhat  in  the  form  of  a  blouse.  It  was 
trimmed  with  rich  black  blonde,  set  on  in  double  rows.  In  her 
ears  she  wore  sprigs  of  jasmin,  and  a  profusion  of  flowers  were 
wreathed  in  her  hair.  In  her  hand  she  held  a  beautifully 
worked  cambric  handkerchief,  trimmed  with  very  rich,  broad  lace. 
On  that  evening  she  wore  stockings  and  shoes  ;  but  Her  Majesty, 
on  ordinary  occasions,  goes  barefooted.  I  was  informed  that  the 
dress  worn  by  Queen  Pomare  at  this  ball  was  a  present  from 
King  Louis  Philippe. 

The  Queen's  Consort,  who  is  somewhat  younger  than  herself, 
is  exceedingly  handsome.  The  French  have  surnamed  him, 
"Prince  Albert  of  Tahiti,"  not  only  on  account  of  his  good 
looks,  but  because  like  Prince  Albert  in  England,  he  is 
not  the  King  regnant.  At  the  ball  he  appeared  in  the 
uniform  of  a  French  General  officer,  and  wore  it  with  tolerable 
grace. 

Besides  Queen  Pomare  and  her  Consort,  there  was  another 
royal  personage  in  the  company.  This  was  King  Otoume,  the 
sovereign  of  one  of  the  neighbouring  islands.  He  was  dressed 
in  the  most  comical  style  imaginable.  He  wore  a  pair  of  white 
trousers  very  wide  and  short.     Over  his  other  garments  was  a 


488  MADAME   PFEIFFER   AT   TAHITI. 


kind  of  surtout,  made  of  cotton  of  a  bright  canary  colour.  It 
had  evidently  been  made  in  imitation  of  a  European  coat;  but 
its  shape  and  style  of  fitting  proclaimed  it  to  be  a  production  of 
native  genius,  rather  than  the  handiwork  of  a  Parisian  tailor. 
The  king  was  bare-footed. 

The  Queen's  ladies  in  waiting,  four  in  number,  were  dressed 
in  blouses  of  white  muslin.  They  also  had  flowers  for  ear  orna- 
ments, and  wreaths  in  their  hair.  Their  manners  and  deport- 
ment were  not  devoid  of  grace.  These  young  ladies  danced 
quadrilles  with  some  of  the  French  officers ;  but  it  was  painful 
to  see  them  dance  with  their  bare  feet ;  and  I  was  continually 
apprehensive  that  their  toes  would  be  trodden  on  by  their  part- 
ners' boots.  Except  the  Queen  and  her  Consort,  none  of  the 
natives  had  shoes  or  stockings.  A  few  of  the  more  elderly 
females  wore  faded  old-fashioned  bonnets  for  head-dresses ;  and 
several  young  mothers  were  accompanied  by  their  children — even 
infants  in  arms. 

A  short  time  before  supper  was  announced,  the  Queen  with- 
drew into  an  adjoining  apartment  to  smoke  a  cigar;  and  whilst 
her  Majesty  was  thus  engaged,  her  Consort  amused  himself  by 
a  game  at  billiards. 

At  supper,  I  had  the  honour  of  sitting  between  Prince  Albert 
of  Tahiti,  and  the  canary-coloured  King  of  Otoume.  Both  were 
sufficiently  initiated  in  the  rules  of  good  breeding  to  show  me 
such  ordinary  marks  of  attention  as  filling  my  glass  with  water 
or  with  wine,  helping  me  to  the  dishes  near  them.  It  was  evident 
that  they  took  vast  pains  to  imitate  European  manners.  Never- 
theless, some  of  the  guests  now  and  then  committed  themselves. 
by  doing  the  most  extraordinary  things.  The  Queen  herself, 
having  desired  an  attendant  to  bring  her  a  plate,  placed  upon  it 
a  large  assortment  of  sweetmeats  and  dainties,  which  her  Ma- 
jesty selected  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  home  with  her.  It 
was  also  found  necessary  to  check  several  of  her  company  in 
their  too  copious  libations  of  champaigne ;  but,  on  the  whole, 
the  party,  though  exceedingly  merry,  was  tolerably  decorous. 

I  subsequently  dined  several  times  with  the  Royal  Family  at 


MADAME    PFEIFFER    AT   TAHITI.  489 


the  residence  of  the  Governor.  On  these  occasions,  the  Queen, 
as  well  as  her  husband,  appeared  in  the  national  costume — the 
coloured  pareo,  and  the  loose  upper  garment ;  both  were  bare- 
footed. .  The  heir  to  the  throne,  a  boy  of  nine  years  of  age,  is 
ali'eady  betrothed  to  the  daughter  of  a  neighbouring  king.  The 
future  bride,  who  is  two  or  three  years  older  than  the  prince, 
resides  af  the  court  of  Queen  Pomare.  She  has  been  brought 
up  in  the  Christian  religion,  and  has  been  taught  the  English 
language. 

Tati,  the  principal  native  chief  of  the  island,  who  had  come  to 
the  port  to  be  present  at  the  festivities  on  the  first  of  May,  was 
now  about  to  return,  with  his  family,  to  his  residence  at  Papara; 
and  a  French  ofl&cer,  who  was  to  escort  the  chief,  proposed  that 
I  should  join  the  party.  To  this  proposition  I  very  readily  ac- 
ceded ;  and  on  the  4th  of  May  we  embarked  in  a  sailing-boat 
along  the  coast  of  Papara,  a  distance  of  thirty-six  nautical  miles. 
Tati,  the  chief,  a  venerable  old  man,  ninety  years  of  age,  per- 
fectly well  remembered  the  landing  of  Captain  Cook.  His 
father,  at  that  time  first  chief  of  the  island,  formed  a  close 
friendship  with  Cook ;  and,  in  conformity  with  a  custom 
then  prevalent  in  Tahiti,  he  changed  names  with  the  English 
navigator. 

Tati  receives  from  the  French  Government  an  annual  pension 
of  six  thousand  francs,  which  at  his  death,  will  revert  to  his 
eldest  son.  He  had  with  him  his  wife,  a  young  woman,  appa- 
rently about  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and  five  of  the  children, 
the  offspring  of  a  previous  marriage.  The  lady  who  travelled 
with  us  was  his  fifth  wife 

We  passed  several  interesting  points  as  we  sailed  along 
the  coast.  Nor  was  the  sea  itself  less  interesting  than  the 
romantic  scenery  on  shore.  Our  little  skifi"  glided  over  shallows, 
where  through  the  clear  crystal  current,  every  pebble — nay,  almost 
every  grain  of  sand  was  perceptible.  Looking  down  through 
the  translucent  waves,  I  beheld  groups  of  coral  and  madrepore, 
presenting  such  exquisite  masses  of  form  and  colour,  that  I 
readily  could  have  lent  faith  to  the  fanciful  superstition  which 


490  MADAME   PFEIFFER   AT   TAHITI. 


supposes  the  existence  of  fairy  gardens  at  the  bottom  of  the 
sea. 

In  the  wide-spreading  ramifications  of  marine  vegetation 
might  be  pictured  miniature  groves  and  arabesque  parterres,  in- 
terspersed here  and  there  with  hillocks  of  sponge.  Multitudes 
of  little  transparent  fishes  darted  to  and  fro,  rivalling  in  colour 
and  radiance,  the  variegated  hues  of  the  butterfly,  and  the  bright- 
ness of  the  glow-worm.  These  tiny  fishes  were  scarcely  an  inch 
in  length.  For  splendour  of  colouring,  I  scarcely  ever  beheld 
any  thing  to  equal  them.  Some  were  of  clear  azure  blue,  some 
bright  yellow,  and  others,  nearly  transparent,  exhibited  richly 
shaded  tints  of  brown  and  green. 

We  had  left  Papeiti  about  noon ;  and  at  six  o'clock,  when  the 
sun  was  setting,  it  was  resolved  that  we  should  not  pursue  our 
course  further  that  evening,  as  the  numerous  rugged  clifi's  which 
fringe  that  part  of  the  coast  render  the  passage  somewhat  unsafe 
after  dark.  We  therefore  landed  at  Paya  (a  place  situated  about 
twenty-two  miles  from  Papeiti)  of  which  the  sixth  son  of  Tati  is 
the  ruling  chief. 

In  honour  of  his  father's  visit,  the  young  chief  ordered  a  sup- 
per to  be  prepared.  A  pig  was  accordingly  killed,  and  cooked 
in  the  Tahitian  fashion.  A  hollow  dug  in  the  ground  contained 
a  number  of  stones,  round  which  a  fierce  fire  was  kindled.  Mean- 
while bread-tree  fruits  were  skinned  and  divided  into  halves  by 
a  sharp  wooden  hatchet.  When  the  tire  burned  up,  and  the 
stones  were  sufficiently  heated,  the  pig  and  the  bread-fruits  were 
put  in  the  oven,  and  heated  stones  laid  over  them.  The  whole 
was  then  covered  over  with  leaves,  branches  of  trees,  and  finally 
with  a  layer  of  earth. 

Whilst  the  supper  was  being  cooked  by  this  process,  the  table 
was  laid  out.  A  straw  mat  having  been  spread  on  the  ground, 
large  leaves,  intended  to  serve  as  plates,  were  placed  upon  it. 
As  a  drinking  cup,  each  guest  was  furnished  with  a  cocoa-nut 
shell ;  half  filled  with  a  sort  of  acid  beverage,  called  Miti. 

In  about  an  hour-and-a-half  supper  was  pronounced  to  be 
ready;  and  though  the  pig  was  not  to  be  prepared  in  the  most 


MADAME   PFEIFFER   AT   TAHITI.  491 


tempting  style,  yet  it  was  consumed  with  inconceivable  rapidity. 
By  the  help  of  a  single  knife  the  pig  was  divided  into  as  many 
portions  as  there  were  individuals  to  partake  of  it ;  and  each  one 
was  helped  to  his  or  her  share,  together  with  half  a  bread-fruit, 
placed  on  a  leaf.  Excepting  the  French  oflBcer,  old  Tati,  his 
wife,  and  myself,  no  one  sat  down  at  the  rustic  table ;  it  being 
inconsistent  with  the  customs  of  the  country  for  the  host  to  eat 
with  his  guests,  or  a  child  with  his  parent. 

On  our  arrival  at  Papara,  we  were  informed  of  the  death  of 
one  of  Tati's  sons.  The  event  bad  taken  place  a  few  days  pre- 
viously, but  the  funeral  was  deferred  until  the  arrival  of  the  aged 
chief.  I  visited  the  hut,  and  the  attendants  gave  me  a  new 
pocket  handkerchief,  directing  me  to  offer  it  as  a  present  to  the 
departed.  This  custom,  of  offering  presents  to  the  dead,  is  still 
kept  up  by  the  Tahitians — even  those  among  them  who  have 
become  converts  to  Christianity.  The  body  lay  in  a  coffin,  rest- 
ing on  a  low  bier  J  both  coffin  and  bier  were  overspread  with  a 
sort  of  white  paint  or  lacker.  Before  the  bier  two  straw  mats 
were  spread.  On  one  of  these  mats  were  placed  all  the  clothes, 
drinking-cups,  knive.-^,  &c.,  which  had  belonged  to  the  deceased. 
On  the  other  lay  a  vast  collection  of  presents,  consisting  of  shirts, 
parees,  handki'vchiefs,  bits  of  cloth,  &c. 

I  attended  the  ceremony  of  the  interment.  The  priest  delivered 
a  short  oration  over  the  grave,  and  when  the  coffin  was  lowered, 
the  mats,  the  straw  hat,  and  the  clothes  of  the  deceased,  to- 
gether with  some  of  the  presents,  were  thrown  into  the  grave. 
In  the  vicinity  of  the  place  of  interment  there  were  some  ancient 
Indian  tombs  called  Murais.  They  were  quadrangular  spaces 
surrounded  by  stone  walls  four  or  five  feet  high.  Within  the 
Murai  or  quadrangle,  the  corpse  used  to  be  laid,  resting  on  a 
wooden  framework.  There  it  was  left  until  nothing  remained 
but  the  skeleton,  which  was  afterwards  buried  in  some  sequestered 
spot. 

After  my  return  from  Papara,  I  made  a  visit  to  Venus  Point, 
a  little  tongue  of  land,  on  which  Captain  Cook  stationed  himself 
to  observe   the  transit  of   Venus    over  the   sun's   disk.      The 


492  MADAME   PFEIFFER   AT   TAHITI. 


stone  on  whicli  his  telescope  was  fixed  is  still  on  the  spot  where 
it  then  was. 

One  of  my  most  interesting  excursions  was  to  Fontana  and  the 
Diadem.  Fontana  is  a  point  which  the  Tahitians  considered  to 
be  impregnable,  and  where,  nevertheless,  they  sustained  the 
most  signal  defeat  by  the  French  during  the  last  war.  Governor 
Brouat  obligingly  lent  me  his  horse  to  make  this  excursion,  and 
he  sent  with  me  as  a  guide  a  sub-officer,  who  had  been  engaged 
iu  the  action,  and  who  explained  to  me  the  positions  and  move- 
ments of  the  hostile  forces. 

For  the  space  of  six  miles  I  rode  through  thick  forests  and  deep 
ravines,  intersected  by  mountain  torrents.  In  many  parts  of 
these  ravines,  extremely  narrow  passes  are  flanked  on  either  side 
by  steep  and  inaccessible  mountains ;  so  that  here,  as  in  ancient 
Thermopylne,  a  small  band  of  brave  warriors  were  enabled  to 
keep  at  bay  a  strong  and  numerous  army.  The  defiles  of  Fon- 
tana may  be  said  to  be  the  key  to  the  whole  island.  During  the 
late  war  Fontana  was  the  principal  stronghold  of  the  Tahitians, 
and  the  only  mode  by  which  the  French  could  ho]^Q  to  carry  the 
important  position  was  by  climbing  up  an  almost  perpendicular 
precipice,  and  thereby  reaching  a  narrow  ridge  near  the  summit. 
General  Brouat  announced  his  vvisli  tliatthis  dangerous  enterprise 
should  be  entrusted  only  to  volunteers ;  and  sixty-two  men  were 
selected  from  the  very  considerable  nuaiber  who  eagerly  ofi"ered 
themselves.  After  twelve  hours  of  difficult  aud  perilous  exer- 
tion, the  gallant  adventurer.?  at  length  gained  the  summit.  As 
soon  as  they  appeared  iu  sight,  the  dismayed  Indians  threw 
down  their  arms,  exclaiming,  "These  are  not  men,  for  that  steep 
acclivity  is  inaccessible  to  mortal  footsteps.  They  must  be 
spirits;  therefore  let  us  surrender,  for  it  is  needless  to  attempt 
defence." 

At  Fontana,  a  little  fort,  surmounted  by  a  watch-tower,  has 
been  built.  It  is  reached  by  a  footpath  running  along  a  narrow 
mountain  ridge,  beneath  which  yawns  a  chasm  of  unfathomable 
depth.  For  persons  liable  to  vertigo,  it  would  be  dangerous  to 
attempt  to   lie  along  this  path,   which,  however,  commands  a 


H 

^ 


.■*■ 


MADAME   PFEIFFER   AT   TAHITI. 


493 


magnificent  prospect  over  the  surrounding  country.  Mountaina, 
valleys,  ravines,  and  waterfalls  diversify  the  romantic  scene  j 
and  high  above  every  other  object  in  the  landscape  towers  the 
Diadem.  I  reached  that  colossal  mass  of  rock  after  a  three  hours' 
ride  along  a  difficult  road.  The  prospect  from  the  Diadem  is  still 
grander  than  that  from  the  fort,  extending  in  two  directions,  far 
beyond  the  boundaries  of  the  island,  and  to  some  distance  over 
the  sea. 

This  was  my  last  excursion  in  the  lovely  island  of  Tahiti. 


'  «•  •Jl.ll.•;^3s^•.«^_, 


42 


AN    ADVENTURE    ON    THE    DEE. 

It  was  hot,  burning  hot,  hot  enough  for  Bengal,  a  few  weeks 
ago,  when  a  party  of  us  were  sitting  in  the  shade  of  a 
clump  of  trees  beside  the  brook  that  rattles  down  from  the 
lake  with  the  unpronounceable  name,  on  the  big  hills  behind 
Tremadoc.  Some  of  our  party  (they  were  from  town,  and  lately 
arrived)  had  been  haymaking  in  the  field,  which  is  not  quite  as 
steep  as  the  roof  of  St.  Paul's,  but  steep  enough  to  tempt  a  roll 
or  two  in  the  fresh,  sweet  hay  ;  two  had  been  fishing  in  the  lake ; 
while  a  trio,  lazy  and  romantic,  had  just  been  reading,  with  oc- 
casional intervals  of  discussion,  during  which,  it  was  wonderful 
the  number  of  bottles  of  porter  they  had  managed  to  empty, 
out  of  the  three  dozen  put  to  cool  in  the  hollow  of  the  brook 
bank  for  the  amateur  haymakers.  By  a  universal  vote,  we  had 
lunched  under  the  trees  on  all  manner  of  comestibles,  including 
a  wonderful  salad  of  cold  turbot,  for  want  of  a  lobster.  We 
were  very  happy  and  very  warm,  except  the  idlers.  After  lun- 
cheon, some  went  to  sleep ;  I  am  afraid  some  smoked ;  but  no 
one  scolded,  and  no  one  argued.  As  the  evening  crept  on,  the 
tide  went  down  in  the  bay,  and  for  miles  there  was  nothing  to 
be  seen  but  a  desert  of  yellow  sand,  real  yellow  sand,  where 
Ariel's  friends  might  have  danced  with  pleasure.  We  watched 
the  sea  receding,  and  receding,  until  only  a  dim,  white,  waggling 
line  on  the  horizon  told  us  where  the  waters  of  Port  Madoc 
were  to  come  from,  at  the  turn  of  the  tide. 

Every  body  seemed  delieiously  lazy;  no  one  could  be  called 
or  coaxed  into  haymaking  again.  To  half  of  us,  open-air  work 
was  something  new;  to  the  other  half,  the  rattle  of  new  arrivals 
from  town  was  wonderfully  refreshing,  after  the  vegetation  of 
a  Welsh  village.  So,  gossiping,  with  a  little  singing,  a  little 
494 


LAURA. 


P.  494. 


i 


AN   ADVENTURE   ON   THE  DEE.  495 


story-telling,  and  I  am  afraid,  a  little  flirting,  the  day  wore  out, 
the  moon  rose  up,  and  presently,  up  a  hundred  channels,  before 
unseen,  the  sea  began  to  flow  back,  and  sparkle  below  us,  as 
we  sat  on  the  turf,  on  the  hill-side,  beside  the  rustling  torrent. 

At  length  the  conversation  turned  on  rides  across  the  sands, 
on  the  shores  of  the  Solway,  and  the  perils  of  Morccombe  Bay. 
One  quoted  the  adventure  in  ''  Redgauntlet,"  another  of  Sir 
Arthur  Wardour  and  Lovell  in  the  "  Antiquary  ;"  a  third,  the 
story  of  the  narrow  escape  of  Madame  D'Arblay,  near  Ilfra- 
combe ;  but  we  were  all  piqued  with  the  acutest  curiosity,  when 
Alfred  Aubrey,  the  matter-of-fact  man,  with  a  romantic  name, 
said,  between  the  whiff's  of  a  genuine  Manilla, 

"  I  once  had  a  narrow  escape  myself,  crossing  the  Dee,  on 
just  such  a  night  as  this,  only  there  was  no  moon ;  and  I  can 
assure  you  that  galloping  a  race  with  time  and  tide  is  no  joke." 

"  Come,"  cried  Carry  Darling,  the  self-elected  dictatress  of 
our  al  fresco  parliament,  "  that  will  do  j  you  have  been  talk- 
ing nothing  these  three  days  but  fishing  and  politics ;  put  down 
your  filthy  tobacco,  and  tell  us  that — for  you  owe  us  a  story." 
So  Aubrey,  knowing  that  he  had  a  Napoleon  in  petticoats  to  deal 
with,  began,  with  fewer  excuses  than  customary  in  such  cases,  as 
follows  : — 

About  twenty  years  ago,  after  a  fatiguing  London  season,  I  was 
stopping  at  the  decayed  port  and  bathing  village  of  Parkgate,  on 
the  Dee,  opposite  the  equally  decayed  town  and  castle  of  Flint.  It 
was  a  curious  place  to  choose  for  amusement,  for  it  had,  and  has,  no 
recommendation  except  brackish  water,  pleasant  scenery  at  high 
water,  and  excessive  dulness.  But,  to  own  the  truth,  I  was  in 
love,  desperately  in  love,  with  one  of  the  most  charming,  pro- 
voking little  sylphs  in  the  world,  who  after  driving  me  half  crazy 
in  London,  was  staying  on  a  visit  with  an  uncle,  a  Welsh  parson 
at  dreary  Parkgate.  Not  that  it  was  dreary  to  me  when  Laura 
was  amiable  ;  on  the  contrary,  I  wrote  to  my  friends  and  described 
it  as  one  of  the  most  delightful  watering-places  in  England, 
and,  by  so  doing,  lost  for  ever  the  good  graces  and  legacy  of  my 
A.unt  Grumnh.  who  travelled  all  the  way  from  Brighton  on  my 


496  AN    ADVENTURE   ON    THE   DEE. 


description,  and  only  stayed  long  enough  to  change  horses.  One 
sight  of  the  one  street  of  tumble-down  houses,  in  face  of  a 
couple  of  miles  of  sand  and  shingle  at  low  water  was  enough. 
She  never  spoke  to  me  again,  except  to  express  her  extreme 
contempt  for  my  opinion. 

Our  chief  amusement  was  riding  on  the  sand,  and  sometimes 
crossing  to  Flint  at  low  water.  You  know,  of  course,  that  for- 
merly the  Dee  was  a  great  commercial  river,  with  important  ports 
at  Chester,  Parkgate,  and  Flint;  but  in  the  course  of  time  the 
banks  have  fallen  in,  increasing  the  breadth  at  the  expense  of 
the  depth ;  so  that  at  Parkgate,  whence  formerly  the  Irish 
packets  sailed,  the  fisher-girls  can  walk  over  at  low  water,  for 
the  whole  way  across,  except  just  round  Flint,  where  there  are 
several  quicksands,  when  the  tide  turns,  in  certain  states  of  the 
wind,  the  whole  estuai-y  is  covered  with  wonderful  rapidity  ;  for 
the  tide  seems  to  creep  up  subterraneous  channels,  and  you  may 
find  yourself  surrounded  by  salt-water  when  you  least  expect  it. 

This  was  of  no  consequence  to  us,  as  we  were  never  tied  for 
time.  I  was  teaching  Laura  to  ride,  on  a  little  Welsh  pony, 
and  the  sands  made  a  famous  riding-school.  I  laugh  now  when 
I  think  of  the  little  rat  of  a  pony  she  used  to  gallop  about,  for 
she  now  struggles  into  a  Brougham  of  ordinary  dimensions  with 
great  difficulty,  and  weighs  nearly  as  much  as  her  late  husband, 
Mr.  Alderman  Mallard.  In  a  short  time,  Laura  made  so  much 
progress  in  horsemanship,  that  she  insisted  on  mounting  my 
hackney,  a  full-sized  well-bred  animal,  and  putting  me  on  the 
rat-pony.  When  I  indulged  her  in  this  fancy — for  of  course  she 
had  her  own  way — I  had  the  satisfaction  of  being  rewarded  by 
her  roars  of  laughter  at  the  ridiculous  figure  I  cut,  ambling  be- 
side her  respectable  uncle,  on  his  cart-horse  cob,  with  my  legs 
close  to  the  ground,  and  ray  nose  peering  over  the  little  Welsh- 
man's shaggy  ears,  while  my  fairy  galloped  round  us,  drawing 
all  sorts  of  ridiculous  comparisons.  This  was  bad  enough, 
but  when  Captain  Egret,  the  nephew  of  my  charmer's  aunt's 
husband,  a  handsome  fellow,  with  "  a  lovely  grey  horse,  with 
Buch  a  tail,"    as  Laura  described   it,  came   up   from    Chester 


AN   ADVENTURE   ON    THE   DEE.  497 


to  stay  d  few  days,  I  could  stand  ray  rat-pony  no  longer,  and 
felt  much  too  ill  to  ride  out ;  so  stood  at  the  window  of  my 
lodgings  with  my  shirt-collar  turned  down,  and  Byron  in  my 
hand,  open  at  one  of  the  most  murderous  passages,  watching 
Laura  on  my  chesnut,  and  Captain  Egret  on  his  grey,  cantering 
over  the  deserted  bed  of  the  Dee.  They  were  an  aggravatingly 
handsome  couple,  and  the  existing  state  of  the  law  on  man- 
slaughter enabled  me  to  derive  no  satisfaction  from  the  hints 
contained  in  the  "  Giaour"  or  the  "  Corsair."  Those  were  our 
favourite  books  of  reference  for  young  England  in  those  days. 
Indeed,  we  were  all  amateur  pirates,  and  felons  in  theory  :  but 
■when  1  had  been  cast  down  in  disgust  at  the  debased  state  of  civi- 
lization, which  prevented  me  from  challenging  Captain  Egret  to 
single  combat,  with  Laura  for  the  prize  of  the  victor,  instead  of 
a  cell  at  Chester  Castle,  my  eye  fell  on  an  advertisement  in  a 
local  paper,  which  turned  my  thoughts  into  a  new  channel,  of 
"  Sale  of  Blood  Stock,  Hunters  and  Ilachneys,"  at  Plas  *  *  *, 
near  Holywell. 

I  determined  to  give  up  murder,  and  buy  another  horse,  for  I 
could  ride  as  well  as  the  Captain ;  and  then  what  glorious  tete-U' 
tetes  I  could  have,  with  my  hand  on  the  pommel  of  Laura's  side 
saddle.  The  idea  put  me  in  good  humour.  Regimental  duties  having 
suddenly  recalled  Ca^Jtain  Egret,  I  spent  a  delightful  evening 
with  Laura  j  she  quite  approved  of  ray  project,  and  begged  that 
I  would  choose  a  horse,  "  with  a  long  tail,  of  a  pretty  colour," 
which  is  every  young  lady's  idea  of  what  a  horse  should  be. 

Accordingly  I  mounted  my  chesnut  on  a  bright  morning  of 
July,  and  rode  across  to  Flint,  accompanied  by  a  man  to  bring 
back  my  intended  purchase.  It  was  dead  low  water ;  when,  full 
of  happy  thoughts,  in  the  still  warm  silence  of  the  summer 
morning,  holding  my  eager  horse  hard  in,  I  rode  at  a  foot  pace 
across  the  smooth,  hard,  wave-marked  bed  of  the  river.  There 
was  not  a  cloud  in  the  sky.  The  sun,  rising  slowly,  cast  a  golden 
glow  of  sparkling  sand.  Pit-pat-pit-pat,  went  my  horse's  feet, 
not  loud  enough  to  disturb  the  busy  crows  and  gulls  seeking 
their  breakfast ;  they  were  not  afraid  of  me ;  they  knew  I  had 

4*2* 


498  AN   ADVENTURE   ON   THE  DEE. 


no  gun.  I  remember  it ;  I  see  it  all  before  me,  as  if  it  were 
yesterday,  for  it  was  one  of  the  most  delicious  moments  of  my 
life.  But  the  screaming  gulls  and  whistling  curlews  were  put 
to  flight,  before  I  had  half  crossed  the  river's  bed,  by  the  cheerful 
chatter,  laughter,  and  fragments  of  Welsh  airs  sung  in  chorus 
by  a  hearty  crowd  of  cockle  and  mussel  gatherers,  fishermen, 
and  farmers'  wives,  on  the  way  to  the  market  on  the  Cheshire 
side — men,  women,  (they  were  the  majority),  and  children  on 
foot,  on  ponies  and  donkeys,  and  in  little  carts.  Exchanging 
good-humoured  jokes,  I  passed  on  until  I  came  to  the  ford  of  the 
channel,  where  the  river  runs  between  banks  of  deep  soft  sand. 
At  low  water,  at  certain  points,  in  summer,  it  is  but  a  few  inches 
deep ;  but  after  heavy  rains,  and  soon  after  the  turning  of  the 
tide,  the  depth  increases  rapidly. 

At  the  ford  I  met  a  second  detachment  of  Welsh  peasantry 
preparing  to  cross,  by  making  bundles  of  shoes  and  stockings, 
and  tucking  up  petticoats  very  deftly.  Great  was  the  fun  and 
the  splashing,  and  plenty  of  jokes  on  the  Saxo7i  and  his  red 
horse  going  the  wrong  way.  The  Welsh  girls  in  this  part  of 
the  country  are  very  pretty,  with  beautiful  complexions,  a  gleam 
of  gold  in  their  dark  hair,  and  an  easy  graceful  walk,  from  the 
habit  of  carrying  the  water-pitchers  from  the  wells  on  their  heads. 
The  scene  made  me  feel  any  thing  but  melancholy  or  ill-natured. 
I  could  not  help  turning  back  to  help  a  couple  of  little  damsels 
acrosss,  pilllion-wise,  who  seemed  terribly  afraid  of  wetting  their 
finery  at  the  foot  ford. 

Having  passed  the  channels,  the  wheels  and  footmarks  formed 
a  plain  direction  for  a  safe  route,  which,  leaving  Flint  Castle  on 
my  right,  brought  me  into  the  centre  of  Flint,  without  any  need 
of  a  guide.  The  rest  of  my  road  was  straightforward  and 
common-place.  I  reached  the  farm  where  the  sale  was  to 
take  place,  in  time  for  breakfast,  and  was  soon  lost  in  a 
crowd  of  country  squires,  Welsh  parsons,  farmers,  horsedealers, 
and  grooms. 

Late  in  the  day  I  purchased  a  brown  stallion,  with  a  strain  of 
Arab  blood,   rather  undersized,    but  compact,   and  ono  of  the 


AN   ADVENTURE   ON   THE   DEE.  499 


handsomest  horses  I  ever  saw  before  or  since,  very  powerful, 
nearly  thorough-bred.  When  the  auctioneer  had  knocked  him 
down  to  me,  I  said  to  one  of  the  grooms  of  the  establishment 
who  was  helping  my  man — handing  him  a  crown-piece  at  the 
same  time — 

"As  the  little  brown  horse  is  mine,  with  all  faults,  just  have 
the  goodness  to  tell  me  what  is  his  fault  V 

"  Why,  sir,"  he  answered,  "  he  can  walk,  trot,  gallop,  and 
jump,  first  rate,  surely;  but  he's  very  awkward  to  mount;  and 
when  you  are  on,  he'll  try  uncommon  hard  to  get  you  off,  for 
two  minutes ;  if  you  stick  fast,  he  will  be  quiet  enough  all 
day." 

"  Thank  you,  my  man,"  I  replied ;  "I'll  try  him  directly." 
Just  before  starting  I  found  the  chesnut  had  a  shoe  loose,  and 
had  to  send  him  to  the  nearest  village,  two  miles  off.  I  had 
promised  Laura  to  return  by  eight  o'clock,  to  finish  a  delightful 
book  we  were  reading  aloud  together,  until  the  tiff  about  Cap- 
tain Egret  had  interrupted  us.  You  may  judge  if  I  was  not 
impatient;  and  yet,  with  fifteen  miles  to  ride  to  Flint,  I  had  no 
time  to  spare. 

My  friend  the  groom  saddled  the  brown  horse,  and  brought 
him  down  to  the  open  road  to  me.  He  trotted  along,  with 
shining  coat  and  arched  neck,  snorting  and  waving  his  great  tail 
like  a  lion.  As  he  piaffed  and  paraded  sideways  along,  casting 
back  his  full  eye  most  wickedly,  every  motion  spoke  mischief; 
but  there  was  no  time  for  consideration ;  I  had  barely  an  hour 
to  do  fifteen  miles  of  rough  roads  before  crossing  the  river,  and 
must  get  to  the  river-side,  cool.  I  had  intended  to  have  ridden 
the  chesnut,  who  was  experienced  in  water,  but  the  loose  shoe 
upset  that  arrangement.  Without  giving  him  any  time  to  see 
what  I  was  about,  I  caught  him  by  the  mane  and  the  reins, 
threw  myself  from  a  sloping  bank  into  the  saddle,  and  although 
he  dragged  the  groom  across  the  road,  I  had  both  feet  in  the 
stirrups  before  he  burst  from  his  hold.  Snorting  fiercely,  he 
bucked  and  plunged  until  I  thought  the  girths  would  surely 
crack ;  but  other  horsemen  galloping  past,  enabled  me  to  bustle 


500  AN    ADVENTUKE    OX    TUE    DEE. 


him  into  full  speed,  and  in  £vo  minutes  he  settled  down  into  a 
long,  luxurious  stride,  with  his  legs  under  his  haunches,  that  felt 
like  a  common  canter,  hut  really  devoured  the  way,  and  swept 
me  past  every  thing  on  the  road.  Up  hill  and  down,  it  was 
all  the  same,  he  bounded,  like  a  machine  full  of  power  on  the 
softest  of  steel-springs. 

Ten  miles  were  soon  past,  and  we  reached  Holywell ;  up  the 
steep  hill  and  through  the  town,  and  down  the  steep  narrow 
lanes,  we  went,  and  reached  the  level  road  along  the  shore  lead- 
ing to  Flint,  without  halt,  until  within  two  miles  of  that  town ; 
then  I  drew  bridle  to  walk  in  cool. 

By  this  time  the  weather,  which  had  been  bright  all  day,  had 
changed  ;  a  few  heat  drops  of  rain  fell,  thunder  was  heard  rolling 
in  the  distance,  and  a  wind  seemed  rising  and  murmuring  from 
the  sea. 

I  looked  at  my  watch  as  we  entered  the  town;  it  was  an  hour 
past  the  time  when  I  intended  to  have  crossed.  But  Laura 
must  not  be  disappointed;  so  I  only  halted  at  the  inn  lon<r 
enough  to  let  the  brown  wash  his  mouth  out,  and,  without  dis- 
mounting, rode  on  to  the  guide's  house.  As  I  passed  the  Castle, 
I  heard  a  band  playing ;  it  was  a  party  of  officers,  with  their 
friends,  who  had  come  up  on  a  picnic  from  Chester. 

"When  I  reached  the  cottage  of  old  David,  the  guide,  he  was 
sitting  on  the  bench  at  the  door,  putting  on  his  shoes  and  stock- 
ings;  and  part  of  the  party  I  had  met  in  the  morning,  as  they 
passed,  cried,  "  You're  late,  master ;  you  must  hurry  on  to  cross 
to  night."  David  was  beginning  to  dissuade  me  ;  but  when  I 
threw  him  a  shilling,  and  trotted  on,  he  followed  me,  pattering 
down  the  beach. 

"  You  must  make  haste,  master,  for  the  wind's  getting  up, 
and  will  bring  the  tide  like  a  roaring  lion — it  will.  But  I  sup- 
pose the  pretty  lady  with  the  rosy  face  expects  you.  But  where's 
the  red  horse  ?  I  wish  you  had  him.  I  do  not  like  strange 
horses  on  such  a  time  as  this — indeed,  and  I  do  not,"  he  added. 
But  I  had  no  time  for  explanations,  although  David  was  a  great 


AN   ADVENTURE   ON   THE   DEE. 


ally  of  ours.  I  knew  I  was  expected  j  it  was  getting  dusk, 
and  Laura  would  be  anxious,  Ilioped." 

Pushing  briskly  along,  we  soon  reached  the  ford  of  the  chan- 
nel, so  calm  and  shallow  in  the  morning,  but  now  filling  fast 
with  the  tide ;  dark  clouds  were  covering  the  sky,  and  the  wind 
brought  up  a  hollow  murmuring  sound. 

''  Now  get  across,  young  gentleman,  as  fast  as  you  can,  and 
keep  your  eye  on  the  wind-mill,  and  don't  spare  your  spurs,  and 
you  will  have  plenty  of  time ',  so  good  evening,  God  bless  you, 
young  gentleman,  and  the  pretty  lady,  too,"  cried  ^David, 
honestest  of  Welsh  guides. 

I  tried  to  walk  the  brown  horse  through  the  ford  where  it  was 
not  more  than  three  or  four  feet  deep;  but  he  first  refused; 
then,  when  pressed,  plunged  fiercely  in,  and  was  out  of  his  depth 
in  a  moment.  He  swam  boldly  enough,  but  obstinately  kept 
his  head  down  the  stream ;  so  that,  instead  of  landing  on  an 
easy  shelving  shore,  he  came  out  where  all  but  a  perpendicular 
bank  of  soft  sand  had  to  be  leaped  and  climbed  over.  After 
several  unsuccessful  efforts,  I  was  obliged  to  slip  ofl^,  and  climb 
up  on  foot,  side  by  side  with  my  horse,  holding  on  by  the  flap 
of  the  saddle.  If  I  had  not  dismounted,  we  should  probably 
have  rolled  back  together. 

When  I  reached  the  top  of  the  bank,  rather  out  of  breath,  I 
looked  back,  and  saw  David  making  piteous  signs,  as  he  moved 
ofi"  rapidly  for  me  to  push  along.  But  this  was  easier  said 
than  done ;  the  brown  horse  would  not  let  me  come  near  him. 
Round  and  round  he  went,  rearing  and  plunging,  until  I  was 
quite  exhausted.  Coaxing  and  threatening  were  alike  useless ; 
every  moment  it  was  getting  darker.  Once  I  thought  of  letting 
the  brute  go,  and  swimming  back  to  David.  But  when  I  looked 
at  the  stream,  and  thought  of  Laura,  that  idea  was  dismissed. 
Another  tussle,  in  which  we  ploughed  up  the  sand  in  a  circle, 
was  equally  fruitless,  and  I  began  to  think  he  would  keep  me 
there  to  be  drowned,  for  to  cross  to  Parkgate  on  foot  before  the 
tide  came  up  strong,  seemed  hopeless.  At  length,  finding  I 
could  not  get  to  touch  his  shoulder,  I  seized  the  opportunity, 


502  AN  ADVENTURE  ON   THE  DEE. 


when  Le  was  close  to  the  bank  of  the  stream,  and  catching  the 
curb  sharply  in  both  hands,  backed  him  half  way  down  almost 
into  the  water.  Before  he  had  quite  struggled  up  to  the  top,  I 
threw  myself  into  the  saddle,  and  was  carried  off  at  the  rate  of 
thirty  miles  an  hour  towards  the  sea. 

But  I  soon  gathered  up  the  reins,  and  firm  in  my  seat,  turned 
my  Tartar's  head  towards  the  point  where  I  could  see  the 
white  windmill  gleaming  through  the  twilight  on  the  Cheshire 
shore. 

I  felt  that  I  had  not  a  moment  to  spare.  The  sand,  so  firm  in 
the  morning,  sounded  damp  under  my  horse's  stride ;  the  little 
stagnant  pools  filled  visibly,  and  joining  formed  shallow  lakes, 
through  which  we  dashed  in  a  shower  of  spray ;  and  every  now 
and  then  we  leaped  over  or  plunged  into  deep  holes.  At  first  I 
tried  to  choose  a  path,  but  as  it  rapidly  grew  darker,  I  sat  back 
in  my  saddle,  and  with  my  eyes  fixed  on  the  tower  of  the  wind- 
mill, held  my  horse  firmly  into  a  hand  gallop,  and  kept  a  straight 
line.  He  was  a  famous  deep-chested  long-striding  little  fellow, 
and  bounded  along  as  fresh  as  when  I  started.  By  degrees  my 
spirits  began  to  risej  I  thought  the  danger  past;  I  felt  confidence 
in  myself  and  horse,  and  shouted  to  him  in  encouraging  triumph. 
Already  I  was,  in  imagination,  landed  and  relating  my  day's 
adventures  to  Laura,  when  with  a  heavy  plunge  down  on  his 
head,  right  over  went  the  brown  stallion,  and  away  I  flew  as  far 
as  the  reins,  fortunately  fast  grasped,  would  let  me.  Blinded 
with  wet  sand,  startled,  shaken,  confused  by  a  sort  of  instinct,  I 
scrambled  to  my  feet  almost  as  soon  as  my  horse,  who  had  fallen 
over  a  set  of  salmon-net  stakes.  Even  in  the  instant  of  my  fall, 
all  the  horror  of  my  situation  was  mentally  visible  to  me.  In  a 
moment  I  lived  years.  I  felt  that  I  was  a  dead  man ;  I  won- 
dered if  my  body  would  be  found;  I  thought  of  what  my  friends 
would  say;  I  thought  of  letters  in  my  desk  I  wished  burned.  I 
thought  of  relatives  to  whom  my  journey  to  Parkgate  was  un- 
known, of  debts  I  wished  paid,  of  parties  with  whom  I  had  quar- 
relled, and  wished  I  had  been  reconciled.  I  wondered  whether 
Laura  would  mourn  for  me,  whether  she  really  loved  me.     Tn 


AN   ADVENTURE  ON   THE   DEE.  603 


fact,  the  most  serious  and  ridiculous  thoughts  were  jumbled  alto- 
gether, while  I  muttered,  once  or  twice,  a  hasty  prayer ;  and  yet 
I  did  not  lose,  a  moment  in  remounting.  This  time  my  horse 
made  no  resistance,  but  stood  over  his  hocks  in  a  pool  of  salt 
water,  and  trembled  and  snorted — not  fiercely,^,  but  in  fear. 
There  was  no  time  to  lose.  I  looked  round  for  the  dark  line  of 
the  shore ;  it  had  sunk  in  the  twilight,  I  looked  again  for  the 
white  tower ;  it  had  disappeared.  The  fall  and  the  rolling  and 
turning  of  the  horse  in  rising,  had  confused  all  my  notions  of  the 
points  of  the  compass.  I  could  not  tell  whether  it  was  the  dark 
clouds  from  the  sea,  or  the  dizzy  whirling  of  my  brain ;  but  it 
seemed  to  have  become  black  night  in  a  moment. 

The  water  seemed  to  flow  in  all  directions  round  and  round. 
I  tried,  but  could  not  tell  which  was  the  sea,  and  which  the 
river  side.  The  wind,  too,  seemed  to  shift  and  blow  from  all 
points  of  the  compass. 

Then,  "Softly,"  I  said  to  myself,  "be  calm;  you  are  confused 
by  terror;  be  a  man ;"  and  pride  came  to  my  rescue.  I  closed  my 
eyes  for  a  moment,  and  whispered,  "Oh  Lord,  save  me."  Then 
with  an  effort,  calmer,  as  though  I  had  gulped  down  something, 
I  opened  my  eyes,  stood  up  in  my  stirrups  and  peered  into  the 
darkness.  As  far  as  I  could  see,  were  patches  of  water  eating 
up  the  dry  bits  of  sand ;  as  far  as  I  could  hear,  a  rushing  tide 
was  on  all  sides.  Four  times,  in  diff"erent  directions,  I  pushed 
on,  and  stopped  when  I  found  the  water  rising  over  the  shoulders 
of  my  horse. 

I  drew  up  on  a  sort  of  island  of  sand,  which  was  every  minute 
growing  less,  and  gathering  all  the  strength  of  my  lungs,  shouted 
again  and  again,  and  then  listened ;  but  there  came  no  answering 
shout.  Suddenly,  a  sound  of  music  came  floating  past  me.  I 
could  distinguish  the  air;  it  was  the  military  band  playing 
"  Home,  sweet  Home."  I  tried  to  gather  from  what  quarter 
the  sound  came ;  but  each  time  the  wind  instruments  brayed  out 
loudly,  the  sounds  seemed  to  come  to  me  from  every  direction  at 
;nce.    "Ah!"  I  thought,  "I  shall  see  home  no  more."    I  could 


604  AN    ADVENTURE   ON   THE   DEE. 


have  wept,  but  I  had  no  time;  my  eyes  were  staring  through 
the  darkness,  and  my  horse,  plunging  and  rearing,  gave  me  no 
rest  for  weeping.  I  gave  him  his  head  once,  having  heard  that 
horses,  from  ships  sunk  at  sea,  have  reached  land  distant  ten 
miles,  by  instinct;  but  the  alternation  of  land  and  shallow 
and  deep  water  confused  his  senses,  and  destroyed  the  calm 
power  which  might  have  been  developed  in  the  mere  act  of 


swimmmg. 


At  length,  after  a  series  of  vain  efforts,  I  grew  calm  and  re- 
signed. I  made  up  my  mind  to  die.  I  took  my  handkerchief 
from  my  neck,  and  tied  my  pocket  book  to  the  D's.  of  the  sad- 
dle. I  pulled  my  rings  off  my  fingers,  and  put  them  in  my 
pocket — I  had  heard  of  wreckers  cutting  off  the  fingers  of 
drowned  men — and  then  was  on  the  point  of  dashing  forward  at 
random,  when  some  inner  feeling  made  me  cast  another  steady 
glance  all  round.  At  that  moment,  just  behind  me,  something 
sparkled  twice  and  disappeared,  and  then  reappearing,  shone 
faintly  but  so  steadily,  that  there  could  be  no  doubt  it  was  a  light 
on  the  Cheshire  shore.  In  an  instant,  my  horse's  head  was 
turned  round.  I  had  gathered  him  together,  dug  in  the  spurs, 
and  crying  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart,  ''  Thank  God  I"  in  the 
same  moment,  not  profanely,  but  with  a  horseman's  instinct, 
shouted  encouragingly,  and  dashed  away  toward  the  light.  It 
was  a  hard  fight ;  the  ground  seemed  melting  from  under  us — 
now  struggling  through  soft  sand,  now  splashing  over  hard,  now 
swimming  (that  was  easy,)  and  now  and  again  leaping  and  half 
falling,  but  never  losing  hold  of  my  horse  or  sight  of  the  beacon  ; 
we  forced  through  every  obstacle,  until  at  length  the  water  grew 
shallower  and  shallower;  we  reached  the  sand,  and,  passing  the 
sand,  rattled  over  the  shingle  of  high-water  mark — and  I  was 
saved  !  But  I  did  not,  could  not  stop  ;  up  the  loose  shingles  I 
pressed  on  to  the  light  that  had  saved  mc.  I  could  not  rest  one 
instant,  even  for  thanksgiving,  until  I  knew  to  what  providential 
circumstance  I  owed  my  safety.  I  drew  up  at  a  fisherman's  hut 
of  the  humblest  kind,  built  on  the  highest  part  of  the  shore,  full 
two  miles  from  Parkgatc;  a  light  which  seemed  faint  when  close 


AN   ADVENTURE   ON   THE   DEE. 


605 


to  it,  twinkled  from  a  small  hitticed  wiudow.  I  threw  myself 
from  my  horse,  and  knocked  loudly  at  the  door,  and  as  I 
knocked,  fumbled  with  one  hand  in  my  soaked  pocket  for  my 
purse.  Twice  I  knocked  again,  and  the  door,  which  was  un- 
hasped,  flew  open.  A  woman,  weeping  bitterly,  rose  at  this  rude 
summons ;  and  at  the  same  moment  I  saw  on  the  table  the  small 
coffin  of  a  young  child,  with  a  rushlight  burning  at  either  end. 
I  owed  my  life  to  death  ! 


,x^^;^5r^:»f,„ 


~i^- 


'-^^  ^     1- 


^Mi^&mm:.: 


43 


SPECIMEN    OF    A    SPANISH    REVOLUTION. 

Mr.  Borrow  had  arrived  in  Madrid  at  a  very  interesting 
period,  and  we  extract  at  some  length  from  the  chapter  in  which 
he  paints  from  the  life  the  revolution  of  La  Granja,  and  the  fate 
of  Quesada. 

The  Granja,  or  Grange,  is  a  roj-al  country-seat,  situated 
amongst  pine-forests,  on  the  other  side  of  the  Guadarama  hills, 
about  twelve  leagues  distant  from  Madrid.  To  this  place  the 
queen  regent  Christina  had  retired,  in  order  to  be  aloof  from  the 
discontent  of  the  capital,  and  to  enjoy  rural  air  and  amusements 
in  this  celebrated  retreat,  a  monument  of  the  taste  and  magnifi- 
cence of  the  first  Bourbon  who  ascended  the  throne  of  Spain. 
She  was  not,  however,  permitted  to  remain  long  in  tranquillity  ; 
her  own  guards  were  disaffected,  and  more  inclined  to  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  constitution  of  1823  than  to  those  of  absolute  mon- 
archy, which  the  Moderados  were  attempting  to  revive  again  in 
the  government  of  Spain.  Early  one  morning  a  party  of  these 
soldiers,  headed  by  a  certniti  sergeant  Garcia,  entered  her  apart- 
ment, and  proposed  that  .->lie  should  subscribe  her  hand  to  this 
constitution,  and  swear  solemnly  to  abide  by  it.  Christina,  how- 
ever, who  was  a  woman  of  considerable  spirit,  refused  to  comply 
with  this  proposal,  and  ordered  them  to  withdraw.  A  scene  of 
violence  and  tumult  ensued;  but,  the  regent  still  continuing 
firm,  the  soldiers  at  length  led  her  down  to  one  of  the  courts  of 
the  palace,  where  stood  her  well-known  paramour,  Munos,  bound 
and  blindfolded.  *'  Swonr  to  the  constitution,  you  she-rogue," 
vociferated  tlie  swarthy  f^^ergcant.  ''Never!"  said  the  spirited 
daughter  of  the  Neapolitan  Bourbons.  "Then  your  cortejo  shall 
die!"  replied  th*^  serjennt.  "Ho!  ho!  my  lads;  get  ready  your 
arms,  and  send  four  bulieis  ihrough  the  fellow's  brain."  Munos 
(606) 


SPECIMEN   OF   A   SPANISH   REVOLUTION.  507 


was  forthwith  led  to  the  wall,  and  compelled  to  kneel  down ;  the 
soldiers  levelled  their  muskets,  and  another  moment  would  have 
consigned  the  unfortunate  wight  to  eternity,  when  Christina,  for- 
getting every  thing  but  the  feelings  of  her  woman's  heart,  sud- 
denly started  forward  with  a  shriek,  exclaiming,  "  Hold  !  hold ! 
I  sign,  I  sign !" 

The  day  after  this  event  I  entered  the  Puerta  del  Sol  at  about 
noon.  There  is  always  a  crowd  there  about  this  hour,  but  it  is 
generally  a  very  quiet,  motionless  crowd,  consisting  of  listless 
idlers  calmly  smoking  their  cigars,  or  listening  to  or  retailing 
the — in  general — very  dull  news  of  the  capital ;  but  on  the  day 
of  which  I  am  speaking  the  mass  was  no  longer  inert.  There 
was  much  gesticulation  and  vociferation,  and  several  people  were 
running  about  shouting  ^'Viva  la  Constitudon  !" — a  cry  which, 
a  few  days  previously,  would  have  been  visited  upon  the  utterer 
with  death,  the  city  having  for  some  weeks  past  been  subjected 
to  the  rigour  of  martial  law.  I  occasionally  heard  the  words 
"i/a  Granja!  La  Granja!"  which  words  were  sure  to  be  suc- 
ceeded by  the  shout  of  ''  Viva  la  Constitucton  !"  Opposite  the 
Casa  de  Postas  were  drawn  up  in  a  line  about  a  dozen  mounted 
dragoons,  some  of  whom  were  continually  waving  their  caps  in 
the  air  and  joining  the  common  cry,  in  which  they  were  encour- 
aged by  their  commander,  a  handsome  young  officer,  who  flour- 
ished his  sword,  and  more  than  once  cried  out,  with  great  glee, 
"  Long  live  the  constitutional  queen  !  Long  live  the  constitu- 
tion [" 

The  crowd  was  rapidly  increasing,  and  several  nationals  made 
their  appearance  in  their  uniforms,  but  without  their  arms,  of 
which  they  had  been  deprived,  as  I  have  already  stated.  ''  What 
has  become  of  the  Moderado  government?"  said  I  to  Baltasar, 
whom  I  suddenly  observed  amongst  the  crowd,  dressed  as  when  I 
had  first  seen  him,  in  his  old  regimental  great  coat  and  foraging 
cap ;  "  have  the  ministers  been  deposed,  and  others  been  put  in 
their  place  ?" 

"Not  yet,  Don  Jorge,"  said  the  little  soldier-tailor;  "not 
yet;  the  scoundrels  still  hold  out,  relying  on  the  brute  bull  Que- 


508  SPECIMEN   OF   A   SPANISH   REVOLUTION. 


sada  and  a  few  infantry,  who  still  continue  true  to  them ;  but 
there  is  no  fear,  Don  Jorge ;  the  queen  is  ours,  thanks  to  the 
courage  of  my  friend,  Garcia;  and  if  the  brute  bull  should  make 
his  appearance — ho  !  ho  !  Don  Jorge,  you  shall  see  something — 
I  am  prepared  for  him,  ho  !  ho  \"  and  thereupon  he  half  opened 
his  great  coat,  and  showed  me  a  small  gun  which  he  bore  beneath 
it  in  a  sling,  and  then,  moving  away  with  a  wink  and  a  nod. 
disappeared  amongst  the  crowd. 

Presently  I  perceived  a  small  body  of  soldiers  advancing  up 
the  Calle  Mayor,  or  principal  street,  which  runs  from  the  Puerta 
del  Sol,  in  the  direction  of  the  palace :  they  might  be  about 
twenty  in  number,  and  an  officer  marched  at  their  head  with  a 
drawn  eword ;  the  men  appeared  to  have  been  collected  in  a 
hurry,  many  of  them  being  in  fatigue-dress,  with  foraging  caps 
on  their  heads.  On  they  came  slowly  marching ;  neither  their 
officer  nor  themselves  paying  the  slightest  attention  to  the  cries 
of  "  Long  live  the  constitution  I"  save  and  except  by  an  occa- 
sional surly  side-glance ;  on  they  marched  with  contracted  brows 
and  set  teeth,  till  they  came  in  front  of  the  cavalry,  where  they 
halted  and  drew  up  in  a  rank. 

"  Those  men  mean  mischief,"  said  I  to  my  friend  D ,  of 

the  Morning  Chronicle ; — "  but  what  can  those  cavalry  fellows  be- 
hind them  mean,  who  are  evidently  of  the  other  opinion  by  their 
ehooting ;  why  don't  they  charge  at  once  this  handful  of  foot 
people  and  overturn  them  ?  Once  down,  the  crowd  would  wrest 
from  them  their  muskets  in  a  moment.  You  are  a  Liberal ;  why 
do  you  not  go  to  that  silly  young  man  who  commands  the  horse, 
and  give  him  a  word  of  counsel  in  time  ?" 

D turned  upon  me  his  broad,  red,  good-humoured  English 

countenance,  with  a  peculiarly  arch  look,  as  much  as  to  say  .  .  . 

(whatever  you  think  most  applicable,  gentle  reader :) 

then  taking  me  by  the  arm,  "  Let  us  get,"  said  he,  "  out  of  this 
crowd,  and  mount  to  some  window,  where  I  can  write  down  what 
is  about  to  take  place,  for  I  agree  with  you  that  mischief  is 
meant."  Just  opposite  the  post-office  was  a  large  house,  in  the 
topmost  story  of  which  we  beheld  a  paper  displayed,  importing 


SPECIMEN   OF  A   SPANISH   REVOLUTION.  509 


that  apartments  were  to  let;  whereupon  we  instantly  ascended 
the  common  stair,  and,  having  agreed  with  the  mistress  of  the 
etage  for  the  use  of  the  front  room  for  the  day,  we  bolted  the 
door,  and  the  reporter,  producing  his  pocket-book  and  pencil, 
prepared  to  take  notes  of  the  coming  events,  which  were  already 
casting  their  shadow  before. 

What  most  extraordinary  men  ai'e  these  reporters  of  the  En- 
glish newspapers  !  Surely,  if  there  be  any  class  of  individuals 
who  are  entitled  to  the  appellation  of  cosmopolites,  it  is  these; 
who  pursue  their  avocation  in  all  countries  indiflFerently,  and  ac- 
commodate themselves  at  will  to  the  manners  of  all  classes  of 
society ;  their  fluency  of  style  as  writers  is  only  surpassed  by 
their  facility  of  language  in  conversation,  and  their  attainments 
in  classical  and  polite  literature  only  by  their  profound  know- 
ledge of  the  world,  acquired  by  an  early  introduction  into  its 
bustling  scenes.  The  activity,  energy,  and  courage  which  they 
occasionally  display  in  the  pursuit  of  information  are  truly  re- 
markable. I  saw  them,  during  the  three  days  at  Paris,  mingled 
with  canaille  and  gamins  behind  the  barriers,  whilst  the  mitraille 
was  flying  in  all  directions,  and  the  desperate  cuirassiers  were 
dashing  their  fierce  horses  against  those  seemingly  feeble  bul- 
warks. There  stood  they,  dotting  down  their  observations  in 
their  pocket-books  as  unconcernedly  as  if  reporting  the  proceed- 
ings of  a  reform  meeting  in  Finsbury  Square ;  whilst  in  Spain, 
several  of  them  accompanied  the  Carlist  and  Christine  guerillas 
in  some  of  their  most  desperate  raids,  exposing  themselves  to 
the  danger  of  hostile  bullets,  the  inclemency  of  winter,  and  the 
fierce  heat  of  the  summer  sun. 

We  had  scarcely  been  five  minutes  at  the  window  when  we 
heard  the  clattering  of  horses'  feet  hastening  down  the  Calle  de 
Carretas.  As  the  sounds  became  louder  and  louder,  the  cries  of 
the  crowd  below  diminished,  and  a  species  of  panic  seemed  to 
have  fallen  upon  all ;  once  or  twice,  however,  I  could  distinguish 
the  words  Quesada  !  Quesada !  The  foot  soldiers  stood  calm  and 
motionless;  but  the  cavalry,  with  the  young  officer  who  com- 
manded  them,  displayed   both  confusion   and  fear,  exchanging 

43* 


510  SPECIMEN  OF   A   SPANISH   REVOLUTION. 


with  each  other  some  hurried  words.  All  of  a  sudden  that  part 
of  the  crowd  which  stood  near  the  mouth  of  the  Calle  de  Carre- 
tas  fell  back  in  great  disorder,  leaving  a  considerable  space  un- 
occupied, and  the  next  moment  Quesada,  in  complete  general's 
uniform,  and  mounted  on  a  bright  bay  thorough-bred  English 
horse,  with  a  drawn  sword  in  his  hand,  dashed  at  full  gallop  into 
the  area,  much  the  same  manner  as  I  have  seen  a  Manchegan 
bull  rush  into  the  amphitheatre  when  the  gates  of  his  pen  are 
suddenly  flung  open. 

He  was  closely  followed  by  two  mounted  oflBcers,  and  at  a 
short  distance  by  as  many  dragoons.  In  almost  less  time  than 
is  sufl&cient  to  relate  it,  several  individuals  in  the  crowd  were 
knocked  down  and  lay  sprawling  beneath  the  horses  of  Quesada 
and  his  two  friends,  for  as  to  the  dragoons,  they  halted  as  soon 
as  they  had  entered  the  Puerta  del  Sol.  It  was  a  fine  sight  to 
see  three  men,  by  dint  of  valour  and  good  horsemanship,  strike 
terror  into  at  least  as  many  thousands.  I  saw  Quesada  spur  his 
horse  repeatedly  into  the  dense  masses  of  the  crowd,  and  then 
extricate  himself  in  the  most  masterly  manner.  The  rabble  were 
completely  awed  and  gave  way,  retiring  by  the  Calle  del  Com- 
ercio,  and  the  street  of  Alcala.  All  at  once,  Quesada  singled  out 
two  nationals  who  were  attempting  to  escape,  and,  setting  spurs 
to  his  horse,  turned  them  in  a  moment  and  drove  them  in  an- 
other direction,  striking  them  in  a  contemptuous  manner  with 
the  flat  of  his  sabre.  He  was  crying  out  ''  Long  live  the  abso- 
lute queen  !"  when,  just  beneath  me,  amidst  a  portion  of  the 
crowd  which  had  still  maintained  its  ground,  perhaps  from  not 
having  the  means  of  escaping,  I  saw  a  small  gun  glitter  for  a 
moment,  then  there  was  a  sharp  report,  and  a  bullet  had  nearly 
sent  him  to  his  long  account,  passing  so  near  to  the  countenance 
of  the  general  as  to  graze  his  hat.  I  had  an  indistinct  view  for  a 
moment  of  a  well-known  foraging  cap  just  about  the  spot  from 
whence  the  gun  had  been  discharged,  then  there  was  a  rush  of 
the  crowd,  and  the  shooter,  whoever  he  was,  escaped  discovery 
amidst  the  confusion  which  arose. 

As  for  Quesada,  he  seemed  to  treat  the  danger  from  which  he 


SPECIMEN   OF   A   SPANISH   REVOLUTION.  511 


had  escaped  with  the  utmost  contempt.  He  glared  about  him 
fiercely  for  a  moment,  then,  leaving  the  two  nationals,  who 
sneaked  away  like  whipped  hounds,  he  went  up  to  the  young 
officer  who  commanded  the  cavalry,  and  who  had  been  active  in 
raising  the  cry  of  the  Constitution,  and  to  him  he  addressed  a 
few  words  with  an  air  of  stern  menace ;  the  youth  evidently 
quailed  before  him,  probably  in  obedience  to  his  orders,  resigned 
the  command  of  the  party,  and  rode  slowly  away  with  a  discom- 
fited air ;  whereupon  Quesada  dismounted  and  walked  slowly 
backwards  and  forwards  before  the  Casa  de  Postas  with  a  mien 
which  seemed  to  bid  defiance  to  mankind. 

This  was  the  glorious  day  of  Quesada's  existence,  his  glorious 
and  last  day.  I  call  it  the  day  of  his  glory,  for  he  certainly 
never  before  appeared  under  such  brilliant  circumstances,  and 
he  never  lived  to  see  another  sun  set.  No  action  of  any  con- 
queror or  hero  on  record  is  to  be  compared  with  this  closing 
scene  of  the  life  of  Quesada;  for  who,  by  his  single  desperate 
courage  and  impetuosity,  ever  before  stopped  a  revolution  in  full 
course  ?  Quesada  did ;  he  stopped  the  revolution  at  Madrid  for 
one  entire  day,  and  brought  back  the  uproarious  and  hostile  mob 
of  a  huge  city  to  perfect  order  and  quiet.  His  burst  into  the 
Puerta  del  Sol  was  the  most  tremendous  and  successful  piece  of 
daring  ever  witnessed.  I  admired  so  much  the  spirit  of  the  "  brute 
bull,"  that  I  frequently  during  his  wild  onset,  shouted  "  Viva 
Quesada  !"  for  I  wished  him  well.  Not  that  I  am  of  any  political 
party  or  system.  No,  no  !  I  have  lived  too  long  with  Rommany 
Chals  and  Petulengres  to  be  of  any  politics  save  gipsy  politics  :  and 
it  is  well  known,  that  during  elections,  the  children  of  lloma  side 
with  both  parties  so  long  as  the  event  is  doubtful,  promising  suc- 
cess to  each  ;  and  then,  when  the  fight  is  done,  and  the  battle  won, 
invariably  range  themselves  in  the  ranks  of  the  victorious.  But 
I  repeat  that  I  wished  well  to  Quesada,  witnessing  as  I  did,  his 
stout  heart  and  good  horsemanship.  Tranquillity  was  restored 
to  Madrid  throughout  the  remainder  of  the  day ;  the  handful  of 
infantry  bivouacked  in  the  Puerta  del  Sol.  No  more  cries  of 
"  Long  live  the  Constitution  !"  were  heard ;  and  the  revolution 


512        SPECIMEN   OF   A   REVOLUTION   IN   SPAIN. 


in  the  capital  seemed  to  have  been  effectually  put  down.  It  ia 
probable,  indeed,  that,  had  the  chiefs  of  the  moderado  party  but 
continued  true  to  themselves  for  forty-eight  hours  longer,  their 
cause  would  have  triumphed,  and  the  revolutionary  soldiers  at 
the  Granja  would  have  been  glad  to  restore  the  Queen  Regent 
to  liberty,  and  to  have  come  to  terms,  as  it  was  well  known  that 
several  regiments  who  still  continued  loyal  were  marching  upon 
Madrid.  The  moderados,  however,  were  not  true  to  themselves : 
that  very  night  their  hearts  failed  them,  and  they  fled  in  various 
directions — Isturitz  and  Galiano  to  France,  and  the  Duke  of 
Rivas  to  Gibraltar ;  the  panic  of  his  colleagues  even  infected 
Quesada,  who  disguised  as  a  civilian,  took  to  flight.  He  was  not, 
however,  so  successful  as  the  rest,  but  was  recognized  at  a  village 
about  three  leagues  from  Madrid,  and  cast  into  the  prison  by 
some  friends  of  the  constitution.  Intelligence  of  his  capture 
was  instantly  transmitted  to  the  capital,  and  a  vast  mob  of  the  na- 
tionals, some  on  foot,  some  on  horseback,  and  others  in  cabriolets, 
instantly  set  out.  "The  nationals  are  coming,"  said  a  paisano 
to  Quesada.  "  Then,"  said  he,  "  I  am  lost,"  and  forthwith  pre- 
pared himself  for  death. 

On  the  evening  of  the  day  in  question  I  was  seated  in  a  coffee 
house  in  Madrid  sipping  a  cup  of  the  brown  beverage,  when  I 
saw  a  body  of  the  nationals  enter  the  coffee-house  marching  arm 
in  arm,  two  by  two,  stamping  on  the  ground  with  their  feet  in  a 
kind  of  measure,  and  singing  in  loud  chorus. 

A  huge  bowl  of  coffee  was  then  called  for,  which  was  placed 
upon  a  table,  around  which  gathered  the  national  soldiers. 
There  was  silence  for  a  moment,  which  was  interrupted  by  a 
voice  roaring  ont  "  Ut  j^an'ne^o  ?"  A  blue  kerchief  was  forth- 
with produced ;  it  was  untied,  and  a  gory  hand  and  three  or 
four  dissevered  fingers  made  their  appearance ;  and  with  these 
the  contents  of  the  bowl  were  stirred  up.  "  Cups  !  cups  I"  cried 
the  nationals.  "Ho,  ho,  Don  Jorge  I"  cried  Baltasarito,  "  pray 
do  me  the  favour  to  drink  upon  this  glorious  occasion." 

So  muchfor  Madrid  and  its  Patriots  in  February,  1836. 

THE   END. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
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